With Queensland experiencing increasingly severe bushfire seasons, insurance-backed initiatives are focusing on strengthening community preparedness.
The RACQ Foundation, a philanthropic arm of the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ), has expanded its funding for disaster resilience measures, citing the state’s significant exposure to climate-related catastrophes.
Queensland accounts for approximately 60% of Australia’s disaster-related costs.
In response, the foundation disbursed more than $500,000 in the 2023-24 financial year to local organisations through its climate resilience grants program. The funding supports projects aimed at minimising vulnerability to bushfires and other extreme weather events.
The Wild Mountains Environmental Education Centre, located in the Border Ranges of south-east Queensland, was one of the grant recipients.
The centre, which delivers environmental education programs, used the funds to install a sprinkler system that reduces the risk of ember attacks on its timber buildings.
Co-founder Richard Zoomers (pictured right) described the 2019 fire season as a turning point.
“In 2019, the fires came within 12 kilometres of the centre, and our people spent a lot of time raking away flammable shrubbery to avoid an ember attack,” he said. “With funding from the RACQ Foundation, we were able to install a sprinkler system which means we can evacuate in an emergency knowing the area around our property will be damp enough to prevent fire from impacting our timber buildings.”
He added that the centre aims to educate participants on their role in environmental stewardship.
RACQ head of sustainability Will Soutar (pictured left) said the foundation’s resilience grant program reflects the mutual’s commitment to community preparedness.
“Wild Mountains brings people together and makes us appreciate the nature that we all love in Queensland, so it’s great to be able to help them withstand bushfire risk,” he said. “We are really proud to help these organisations who are the backbone of Queensland communities.”
Australian insurers and researchers are also drawing lessons from international events such as the 2021 Palisade Fire in Los Angeles.
During a recent webinar hosted by Bushfire and Natural Hazards Research Australia, experts analysed how urban design, vegetation, and emergency planning influenced the wildfire’s rapid spread.
Dr Faraz Hedayati, a lead research engineer at the US-based Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, said the fire escalated rapidly under dry conditions and high winds. One key takeaway involved building separation.
Australian experts, including CSIRO bushfire researcher Dr Raphaele Blanchi and National Emergency Management Agency director Joe Buffone, called for integrated approaches to land use, construction standards, and public education.
Meanwhile, the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) responded to the LA fires by highlighting the global trend of rising exposure to natural hazards, driven by urban expansion and increasing asset values in vulnerable locations. It urged continued investment in risk mitigation to help manage premium affordability.
