Reducing harm caused by fire and flood
Our missions
Our vision
We want to reduce harm caused by fire and floods by harnessing the collective power of communities, industry, government, philanthropy and the research sector to lift Australia to be the global leader in fire and flood resilience by 2025.
We see ourselves as an enabler, facilitating dialogue, orchestrating and convening groups (people, businesses, government, philanthropy and the research sector), and relying on ground truth from active community-focused programs, to identify the most important resilience-related problems and enable the most effective solutions to be delivered faster.
As a not-for-profit, we go where the evidence takes us. Finally, we are an impact investor. We will make investments when and where they are needed to lift fire and flood resilience. We have a strong balance sheet to ensure the program is a success.
Wooroloo Bushfires
Minderoo Foundation and partners rally to help bushfire affected communities
Recovery support is being provided to families affected by the Perth Hills fires.
Recovery Pods
Our innovative team designed, developed and created a construction process for the deployment of the Minderoo Foundation “recovery pods”, to be used as temporary housing to help those who have lost their homes.
Overview video
The moonshot
An audacious vision requires an innovative approach. We take inspiration from the Apollo mission of the 1960s. What was thought impossible, 10 years later was possible. We will use a similar missions-based approach to achieve our own moonshot. Our initiative, through collaboration with our partners, will translate big, bold, complex challenges into concrete problems to solve, based on a clear, time-bound ambition with a view to lasting change.
Our guide is our Fire and Flood Resilience Blueprint, which has been co-created with over 50 partners across a diverse range of sectors. The blueprint has been drawn from the collaboration, knowledge, resources and innovation of emergency services, industry, communities, governments, philanthropy and the research sector.
The Resilient Communities Framework is a guide that covers the principles of effective community engagement to build disaster resilience. It also contains tools for resilience practitioners, community leaders, policymakers, and funders to support resilience-building efforts across sectors.
The missions
Our missions don’t specify solutions to the challenges posed, they will be developed collaboratively. Our priority is to inspire unconventional approaches and new step change breakthroughs. The solutions will evolve based on evidence and stakeholder knowledge and experience. Our goals are quantified – so we will know when they have been achieved, or if our approaches are failing and need to be re-evaluated.
Fire Shield
Reducing the scale and impact of bushfires by being able to extinguish dangerous fires within an hour.
Healthy Landscapes
Halving hazard exposure in Australia’s 50 most prone fire and flood regions.
Our partners
Our missions have the power to deliver significant and lasting generational change. But we can’t achieve them by ourselves. We are deeply grateful to all our partners and to Australia’s emergency services, front line responders, and other charity and volunteer organisations. There has been a tremendous amount of hard work and goodwill that has been invested in the spirit of collaboration to create this blueprint.
We have worked closely with many federal and state governments and emergency services departments. We are very grateful for their support and contribution to this blueprint.
“This important work has the potential to be a genuine game-changer for Australia. It highlights the power of collaboration and what can be achieved through a bold vision. The work of Minderoo Foundation and its partners will help Australia be more resilient after our Black Summer of bushfires.”
Minister for Industry, Science and Technology
“The Australian Academy of Science is proud to be part of Minderoo Foundation’s Fire and Flood Resilience Blueprint and Missions. A partnership approach, informed by the best available evidence, is our greatest hope for building a more flood and fire resilient Australia. We look forward to contributing the Academy’s scientific expertise to these missions.”
Chief Executive, Australian Academy of Science
“The National Bushfire Recovery Agency supports Minderoo Foundation’s ongoing response to the 2019/2020 bushfires. We congratulate them on the work they are doing with government and other important local and international groups to help Australian communities recover from the devastating bushfires and make Australia better. We look forward to continuing our important work together.”
Deputy Engagement and Operations, National Bushfire Recovery Agency
“Australian Red Cross is pleased to partner with Minderoo Foundation’s Fire and Flood Resilience. We recognise that effective response and recovery is critical, but so too is lifting resilience ahead of time, to ensure that our communities can bounce back stronger after crisis. We remain committed to working with Minderoo Foundation as missions get underway.”
Head of Emergency Services, Australian Red Cross
“Data and research must drive us as a country to continue to increase our resilience to natural hazards. Minderoo Foundation’s Fire and Flood Resilience initiative is an important step and the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC are pleased to be part of it, with our Australian Disaster Resilience Index providing essential data. We look forward to continuing to work closely with Minderoo Foundation over the coming years as we seek evidence-based approaches to reduce the impacts of natural hazards.”
Chief Executive Officer, Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC
“We’re pleased to be partnering with Minderoo Foundation’s Fire and Flood Resilience Initiative. Some of Australia’s largest businesses have stepped up for disaster-affected communities with direct support through The Business Council’s BizRebuild initiative and by helping develop the tools they need for the long term through the Minderoo Foundation’s Resilience Blueprint and Missions program. We stand together with Minderoo Foundation for the next phase of delivery.”
CEO Business Council of Australia
Latest updates
Our programs of work are done in collaboration with partners who bring their expertise, resources and dedication. They span across our three missions: Fire Shield, Resilient Communities and Healthy Landscapes.
