Events
Resilient KV undertakes a range of activities and events that include the individual events listed below. In addition, we also have ongoing activities that include: annual Neighbourhood Group Coordinator meetings; face-to-face support and advice provided to neighbourhood groups and individuals regarding property bushfire preparation; meetings with RFS, emergency services and council representatives, etc; and liaison with other disaster resilience community groups and university researchers.
Previous events have included the following
Resilient KV - AGM and Workshop: Improving the Bushfire Resilience of Your Home and Surrounds
Held on Saturday 8th November 2025 and attended by over thirty community members at the Gorman residence in Wattamolla Rd to attend the second AGM of the Kangaroo Valley Community Association for Disaster Resilience (Resilient KV) and to participate in this workshop.
The ‘walk around’ workshop shared the Gormans’ ongoing process of hardening their property for climate change. The main focus was on bushfire resilience, discussing landscaping approaches and strategies to protect infrastructure such as sheds, water access and waste water systems
The introduction to the workshop highlighted the importance of understanding household bushfire risk. This is specific to a property’s location, the household’s capacities and local conditions. The workshop explored some relatively low-cost strategies that can help to enhance a property’s bushfire resilience, including modifications that can be made to what already exists.
Some key points considered for bushfire hardening in landscaping and gardens were:
- Open spaces: establish green and well-maintained grass areas, pathways, driveways, car parks to slow fire, provide access for maintenance etc.
- Slowing horizontal fire spread: maintain gaps between vegetation clumps using open spaces as above, maintain an ‘inner zone’ close to buildings with some well-maintained low flammability vegetation or no vegetation.
- Slowing vertical fire spread: maintain gaps between the ground and tree canopy, prune trunks to approx. 2m, limit bushes under trees that can carry flame vertically, opt for smooth, tightly held barks.
- Inorganic mulches and landscaping features: use of non-flammable materials for mulching, paths, steps, retaining walls etc
- Vegetation condition – keep garden vegetation well maintained, free of dead wood and well hydrated. Consider trees as ember filters and wind dispersers, reduce fuel from dead vegetation, consider native species which need less water to stay hydrated and green.
The Victorian Country Fire Authority’s document, Landscaping for Bushfire: Garden Design and Plant Selection was used as a guide in preparing the workshop and is an excellent, easy to use resource often quoted by experts on this topic and that may be found here. Further details on the AGM and workshop can be found in an article published in the Kangaroo Valley Voice here.
Retrofitting Your Home for Better Bushfire Resilience
Held on 8th February 2025 at Upper River Hall, Kangaroo River Rd. Attended by approximately 60 local residents.
Summary
Becoming better-prepared for a future bushfire involves many factors – but two of the most important are to: a) Develop a well thought out (and written out) Bushfire Survival Plan; and b) Improve the resilience of your home and property to bushfire attack.
Ember attack is the most common way that buildings ignite during bushfires - but there many simple ember protection retrofits you can make to your home. Gary Moore made a presentation on retrofits made in 2023 to the Upper Kangaroo River Hall as an example of what can be done to make small buildings more resilient to bushfire ember attacks. Attendees examined techniques and samples of materials used and took a close-up look at the upgrades made to the Hall – which will hopefully inspired many to make similar upgrades to their own homes.
Paul Cooper of the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre (SBRC) at the University of Wollongong also provided practical advice on other retrofits to reduce the risk of damage from radiant heat, flying debris, etc – and on bushfire sprinkler systems.
Copies of the Powerpoint presentation slides and other useful materials can be downloaded from the links below.
- Powerpoint slides on Bushfire Retrofit of Upper Kangaroo River Hall by Gary Moore
- Details of material used in Bushfire Retrofit of Upper Kangaroo River Hall by Gary Moore
- Powerpoint slides on Retrofitting your home for Bushfire Resilience by Paul Cooper
- Notes on how to approach retrofitting your home by Alan Green and Paul Cooper
- Detailed advice on Retrofitting your home for Bushfire Resilience by the CFA 2014
Launch of Kangaroo Valley Community Association For Disaster Resilience (KVCADR) Inc.
(otherwise known as Resilient KV)
The formal launch of our organisation was held at Kangaroo Valley Village Hall on Saturday 18 November 2023 – attended by approximately 60 people. A copy of the article published in the Valley Voice about this event may be downloaded at the link here.
Future Events planned
KVCADR is planning to hold a number of different workshops in 2026.