Regional Families Urged to Prepare Before Disaster Strikes
As South Australia heads towards another bushfire season, EmergencyRedi Week is putting a timely reminder in front of regional families — get prepared now.
Households are being encouraged to complete an online Disaster Preparedness Quiz, make an emergency plan, pack an emergency kit and, importantly, talk as a family about what they would do if disaster struck.
And new Australian Red Cross research suggests there’s good reason to start the conversation.
Released for EmergencyRedi Week 2026, the research found 72 per cent of Australians believe communities need to do more to work together to prepare for and recover from emergencies.
For families, there’s another figure worth paying attention to.
Almost 60 per cent of parents who experienced an emergency or disaster in the past 12 months said it had noticeably affected their children, with parents of children aged five to 10 the most likely to report an impact.
As part of this year’s campaign, Australian Red Cross and Australia Post are delivering disaster preparedness information to more than four million households in disaster-prone council areas across Australia, with a particular focus on reaching regional communities.
Australia Post Executive General Manager of Community, Sustainability and Stakeholder Engagement Jane Anderson said the organisation’s regional network played an important role when emergencies struck.
“In many regional and remote communities, our facilities remain an essential connection point and our team members understand first-hand the challenges communities face when disasters strike,” Ms Anderson said.
Get Your Household Emergency Ready
Australian Red Cross Director of Recovery and Resilience Nichola Krey said preparing didn’t need to be complicated.
“Preparing for disasters doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does need to start before an emergency happens,” she said.
The Disaster Preparedness Quiz, along with information on creating an emergency plan and preparing an emergency kit, is available through Australian Red Cross.
To get your household prepared, visit Australian Red Cross Prepare.
Regional South Australians can also check their nearest Bushfire Last Resort Refuge and other Bushfire Safer Places through the CFS website.
