Climate shocks in the Campaspe Shire – especially the 2022 floods that devastated Rochester and hit other towns and villages – exposed deep vulnerability across the region ARC Justice services. Homes were destroyed, renters displaced and local services overwhelmed.
ARC Justice saw the impact up close: more people in crisis, legal needs surging, and often, no co-ordinated system to respond.
In 2024, ARC Justice launched the Campaspe Climate Partnership as part of a three-year project funded through the Federal Government’s Disaster Ready Fund.
Campaspe was prioritised because it’s a flood-prone region where existing disadvantage is made worse by disaster. The service system is fragmented and rural towns often get overlooked in emergency planning.
This project backs local solutions. It’s bringing together more than 20 organisations – including legal, health, housing, council and emergency services – to co-design a Collaborative Action Plan that will reflect lived experience, support frontline workers and strengthen local networks. It won’t be a report for someone’s desk – it will be a plan for real, practical action.
In May 2025, 16 frontline organisations came together to map shared risks and challenges. In September, senior leaders attended an Action Forum to agree on next steps. By June 2026, the region will have a tested strategy focused on community-led resilience, not just crisis response.
Success will be tracked through the number of new partnerships formed, whether community priorities shape the plan and whether services feel more connected and confident. Early signs show the process is already helping organisations shift from isolated service delivery to collaborative problem-solving.
This is what local solutions look like: investing in place, backing the people who live and work there and letting communities lead the way.