DRA Wins Hearts & Awards

As the torrent abated, depositing walls of putrid mud, debris and wreckage in its wake, and a community in despair, Disaster Relief Australia’s (“DRA”) teams arrived to confront the shocking aftermath.

DRA’s Operation Riordan saw the deployment of 172 volunteers, who worked almost 14,000 hours to complete 126 separate clean-up jobs between August and September.

“Rural and regional areas are disproportionately impacted by disasters,” explains DRA CEO Geoff Evans.

“Many residents are older, less well-off and often uninsured. When we turn up to help a community, it’s not uncommon to find that — in house after house — everything is destroyed. It’s very confronting to see people lose everything they have, they are just so overwhelmed.

“We help them take the first step in their recovery. They can see a glimmer of hope, and, in the course of one day’s work, it can turn someone’s life around — both the community member and the volunteer helping them.”

Operation Riordan was just one of numerous life-changing operations for the independent, not-for-profit, which rapidly deploys volunteer teams to provide relief to disaster-impacted communities. Since its founding in 2016, DRA has deployed teams on more than 50 operations across Australia and around the world and assisted more than 200 communities in their recovery.

This inimitable organisation is capable of providing diverse recovery services ranging from debris management and home repairs to more specialist tasks like aerial damage assessment and disaster preparedness training. And although DRA’s capabilities and operations are large-scale, every small job is personal and important to its veteran-led team of volunteers, not least of all Evans.

“One job that really touched me was where an 83-year-old lady was left with a three-storey tall, burnt-out gum tree overhanging her house, which meant she couldn’t live there,” shares Evans.

“We were able to bring that tree down. It completely changed her life. She was able to live in her own home again and feel safe.

“I recall a similar job where an elderly widow wanted a much smaller tree cut down despite a lot more apparent damage from fire around her home. What we figured out is that every time she walked out the front door and saw that tree, it triggered her, and she would feel as though a wall of flames was coming for her.  

“Another I’ll never forget was an old bloke who simply wanted help sorting out his garden shed. We were able to find his toolbox among the debris. By the time we left, he was inspired to get started on repair jobs.”

On 5 June, Keno announced it would provide a $200,000 donation to DRA. The funding is the second instalment of $200,000 over two years, taking Keno’s total financial backing to date to $600,000.

This vital cashflow has supported DRA in deploying teams on several other major recovery operations in addition to Op Riordan, including Operation Simmonds in Forbes, Operation Kelliher in Coraki and Moreton Bay, and Operation Traill in Cassilis and Coolah.

DRA was recognised for Outstanding Achievement in the 2022 Australian Charity Awards — the third consecutive year it has received an award in this category.

“This is an acknowledgement and validation of the work our volunteers do on the ground,” Evans says.

“We are positioning to be Australia’s number one civil contingency capability in disaster recovery. At the moment, only the ADF can provide a capability in that area. We combine modern battlefield methodologies with disaster relief best practice, and we are leading the field in many areas.”

Indeed, what is most unique about the organisation is the way it combines the skills and experience of ADF veterans with emergency responders and everyday Australians.

DRA’s evolution grew when Evans, a veteran who has served in Afghanistan, was introduced to a similar model operating in the United States. After establishing a charity for the homeless in Sydney, Evans made an astute connection between the many returned ADF personnel he encountered who lacked a sense of purpose and the need for specialists who possessed the critical training, skills and experience to lead disaster recovery missions.

“Our model is simple — we ask veterans to continue to serve others,” explains Evans.

However, he is quick to point out just how vital funding from the private sector is.

“The support of our partners is more important than ever. Our government funding pays for administrative infrastructure. Without the support of Keno, we wouldn’t be able to deploy our volunteers.

“The support of our partners is more important than ever now.”

“We have a long and proud partnership with Keno. Keno has supported us for years to help communities after disasters when no one else was coming to help.”

Evans says DRA has an essential helping hand within local communities. 

“Some of the most important disaster recovery work is done in clubs, long after the disaster has passed because they are at the heart of their communities.”

DRA currently maintains a growing roster of more than 2,500 active volunteers nationally, with hundreds more in reserve. However, with the support of Keno, ClubsNSW and other corporate partners, it plans to build its volunteer workforce over the next three years to address a whole-of-nation, resilience-based approach to disaster management. In particular, it will work to develop systems to connect with other emergency response and relief agencies to increase interoperability.

“With natural disasters increasing in prevalence and intensity, the work Disaster Relief Australia does is incredibly important, but they can’t do it alone,” says Paul Malek, Keno’s General Manager of Licensed Venue Operations.

“We want to play our part by supporting DRA to enable them to continue assisting more communities impacted by humanitarian disasters. We couldn’t be prouder to continue that legacy of support with this year’s donation.” 

To find out more about DRA and volunteering, visit their website.