Member for Maitland, Jenny Aitchison, is encouraging local individuals, schools, community groups and businesses to apply for the 2016 Resilient Australia Awards and the NSW Get Ready Community Award.

The Resilient Australia Awards is a national program to recognise and promote initiatives that strengthen community safety and resilience across the nation.

The NSW Get Ready Community Award recognises a local community that has undertaken action and worked together to strengthen their resilience to disasters.

Ms Aitchison said the Resilient Australia Awards are an opportunity to showcase the outstanding work that is undertaken to strengthen the Maitland community after natural disasters.

“The awards are about recognising the innovative practices that make our community safer and resilient enough to handle any emergency situation” said Ms Aitchison.

“Each year, communities face devastating losses caused by disasters which can have significant physical, emotional and economic impacts, changing the lives of many people and causing millions of dollars in property and infrastructure damage”.

“Over the last 12 months Maitland has been affected by severe weather and each time the community has come together to recover. I have been impressed by this display of resiliency”.

“These awards will recognise those individuals and businesses who have helped Maitland recover from these natural disasters” said Ms Aitchison.

The NSW award categories for 2016 are:

• Resilient Australia Community Award

• Resilient Australia Business Award

• Resilient Australia Government Award

• Resilient Australia School Award

• Resilient Australia Photography Award

The winners of the NSW event will be finalists in the national awards.

Entries for the Resilient Australia Award and the NSW Get Ready Community Award are open until 3pm on 9 June 2016.

More information about the awards and how to enter can be found at the Office of Emergency Management website at www.emergency.nsw.gov.au.