@EMPA_Conference@EMPA_Conference

Emergency Media & Public Affairs-Australasia’s Disaster and Communications Hub 🗓️ NZ Conference 5-6 November 2026, Wellington 🗓️ '27 AUS details TBC

 Australia & New Zealand
linktr.ee/empa.org.au
Joined April 2010
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Tickets for the 2026 New Zealand EMPA conference are now on sale! Secure your earlybird tickets via the link in our bio. Key speakers include Mark Ryan from the City of Gold Coast, who will share lessons from Cyclone Alfred.
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Lucy Easthope will also be speaking about her experience from mass casualty events as a professor in mass fatalities and pandemics. Read more about the program via the link in our bio, ‘NZ Conference Program’.
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A huge congratulations to all the award winners and nominees who were awarded at this year’s conference. From recognising recovery efforts, to impactful content creation, all the hard work in the emergency services sector was on display this week! 📍 Bunurong Country
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Three women stand next to a man. They hold a trophy and a certificate.

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Two women hold a certificate and a trophy, next to a man.

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Congratulations to Lucy Bell who was inducted as an EMPA fellow in recognition of her significant contribution to the emergency communications sector! Lucy was described by her peers as a driving force with an infectious energy.
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A true leader, persistent, a connector, community focused, and who never wavers in her commitment to great outcomes. Lucy has been involved in EMPA since 2010 when she first started her EM career and reflected she has “grown up” professionally around EMPA over the last 15 years.
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Lucy is currently the Manager of Public Information at EMV and has held a range of roles across the sector where she has developed her passion for emergency management - evident through the many high profile incidents and projects she's been involved in. Well done Lucy!
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What an incredible three days it has been! As we wrapped up earlier this afternoon, we reflected on some of the successes, including engaging panels, real-world case studies, workshops and networking opportunities.
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An incredible thank you to everyone who joined us over the past three days, including delegates, the board and committee, our sponsors and each of the presenters. Thank you, and see you next year! 📍 Bunurong Country
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In an incredibly interactive exercise filled with breaking news updates, social media injects and an unsettled community, tables worked through a mock scenario focussed on floods.
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Lead by Daniel Barty and Jack Dobson from NEMA, the non-specific town of Nemia needed a communications plan, and EMPA delegates were there to answer the call.
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Consistency of information in these situations is vital, especially across all levels of government. If we’re not sharing details – no matter how small – communities will seek answers from other sources. 📍 Bunurong Country
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This morning Phillipe Borremans took the room through an engaging and informative workshop focussed on Artificial Intelligence. The session focussed on prompting AI – shaping our input for the best output in a timely manner.
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By being specific in our requests and outlining the task, role, audience, context and intent, what AI produces will be of a higher quality. 📍 Bunurong Country
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The third and final day of the Emergency Media and Public Affairs conference was opened by Bron Sparkes, EMPA board director.
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💡 The first workshop of the day was kicked off by Philippe Borremans who discussed Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how we can incorporate it in to everyday tasks as emergency communications practitioners. 📍 Bunurong Country
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An incredible day two wrapped up with a bang, with an insightful conversation between Barbara Ryan from Cicada Research and Anni Fordham from DFES. The discussion, hosted by Ali Martin, covered all things mis- and dis-information.
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From the difference between the two (misinformation is accidental and disinformation is intentional), why people want to fan the flames (it likely comes down to loneliness) and how to combat it, their insights were both practical and informed by data. 📍 Bunurong Country
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Dr David Rousell, Dr Liberty de Rivera, Dr Chantelle Bayes & Dr Kirstin Kreyscher elaborated on their key findings from their Southern Cross University study titled ‘Floods and Me: Education in a Changing Climate’.
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Children are often not thought of during emergencies and throughout recovery specifically, however this research explores the importance of ensuring their voices are heard, so that government policy can be better informed.
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Learn more about this incredible work here: scu.edu.au/education/researc… 📍Bunurong Country
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