Regenerate Capital Region

Building community resilience through leadership

Round 1: 16-21 October 2022 & 31 March-2 April 2023

Round 2: 16-21 April 2023 & 15-17 September 2023

An 8-day residential leadership development program for rural landholders or managers, emergency first responders and local government employees to build community resilience and improve future bushfire responses.

Catherine Keirnan, Landcarer, Corree Village

On 19 January 2003 the bushfire that started in the nearby mountains, burnt through the district. We were as prepared as one could be and saved the house and our stock, but the ‘firestorm’ experience lives on in the memory of all those affected, including the aftermath for the people, the farm business and the countryside which took years to recover. The thoughtful kindness of our community of farmers, the help of friends, and the dedication of firefighting volunteers will never be forgotten.

a leadership network with no boundaries

Regenerate Capital Region is a leadership development program in response to the 2019-20 bushfire season. Its objective is to build a network of trusted contacts across geographical boundaries and agencies to better respond to future fire emergencies.

It aligns with the National Strategy for Disaster Resilience’s focus on achieving community resilience through collective and shared responsibility and empowering individuals and communities to create change.

Improving leadership at all levels is needed to drive improvements in disaster response. Are you someone who:

Owns or leases rural land around Canberra, Yass, Michelago, Burra, Bredbo, Queanbeyan, Bumbalong, Tharwa or Royalla?
Undertakes activities to manage rural land, parks or state forests?
Is a current or emerging leaders in local government policy and governance in environment, planning or emergency response department?
Leads an interest group with a stake in the region?
Is a leader in emergency first response?

If you answered YES to even one of these questions, and are committed to building a strong network to manage future bushfires and natural disasters, consider applying.

Rohan Scott, Chief Officer ACT Rural Fire Service

A focus on assisting the community with recovery and strengthening resilience by building social infrastructure was a key learning from the 2019 to 2020 fire season.

Paul Ryan, Director Australian Resilience Centre

Building a cohort of leaders with the connections, skills and capacity to manage disruptions and to make and take opportunities is one of the best investments we can make for the long-term future of rural communities.

Outcomes

Understand your own behaviours and explore healthy self-management techniques.

Learn how to build stronger networks and collaborate with others.

Learn about resilience thinking and flexible leadership.

Explore different ways of managing natural disasters.

Deliver a $10,000 community resilience initiative with your cohort. Presented at graduation dinner on 23 November 2023

Apply now

Short on time?

Giving up time to attend a leadership development program can be a tough choice. Here are five reasons to invest the time and apply.

Frequently asked questions

You must attend all sessions in order to graduate from the program. Our programs are designed to build your awareness and experience throughout the sessions. Experiential learning is one of the most engaging and deep methods of learning. Wrapping up your learnings and reflection is crucial for a positive learning experience. If you don’t intend to commit, this program may not be right for you. Of course, we will do our best to make sure you don’t miss out should unforeseen circumstances stop you from attending. Please reach out if you’d like to discuss concerns with our program team.

For more information view our Participant Attendance Policy.

Residential programs are designed to create more time for networking and building social connections through evening activities. Also, being away from home and the habitual place of work, takes away distractions of everyday life. Thus, you can fully immerse yourself into the learning experience.

Aside from some travel and personal expenses to, from and during sessions, the program is free to attend thanks to our program partners.

The project has received grant funding from the Australian Government.

Regional leadership programs benefit not just individual participants. They also benefit the cohort and the entire community.

At an individual level, you invest in yourself to develop the skills, a mindset and networks to understand and influence uncertainty and create vibrant communities for generations to come. You grow your networks within and outside of your community, by joining the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation’s national network. That is more than 1,700 people working for the greater good of their communities.

The community will gain a group of courageous and influential people with the skills to gather support from within the community and their new network to put the plan into action.

If you cannot find an answer to your question in our FAQ, you can always contact us. Our team is happy to answer questions and help with your application.

We don’t teach, we facilitate & engage

Learning with us is not assessment or competency-based. Our experiential learning methodology means you’ll learn through challenges and enquiry. It is an experience, not a classroom.

Find out more

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of all the lands on which we meet, work and live and recognise that this land has always been and always will be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land.