There’ll be informative stalls, emergency response displays & equipment, activities, great food and lots more.
If you would like more information on the event, or would like to host a stall, please contact planetaryhealthevents@bmcc.nsw.gov.au
Disaster Risk Awareness Expo
Saturday, 22 November, 2025, 10am to 4pm
Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre, Katoomba, NSW
Disaster Risk Awareness Expo
Saturday, 22 November, 2025
Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre, Katoomba, NSW
Join us for the Planetary Health Disaster Risk Awareness Expo & Family Day
As well as enjoying a fun Family Day with activities for young and old, including a free plant based BBQ and Santa giving attendees a fire-retardant plant, you can explore a wide range of options for creating safer and healthier communities including eliminating hazardous materials in our environment, retrofitting to prepare for future extreme weather events, and practical emergency preparedness skills.
Some of the fun, family-focused activities include:
- Free plant-based community BBQ
- Free fire-retardant plants from Santa
- Launch of the Bushfire Retrofit Toolkit
- Plastic-free Xmas gift craft tent & sewing with Boomerang Bags
- Live music and pollinator hunt with Amelie Ecology
- Hands, Heart and Feet drumming workshop
- Talks, workshops and stalls for all ages
- Betty the Asbestos Education House
Stalls include:
- FIRECOAT: Extreme fire protection coatings
-
Shelter Building Design and hempcrete
- WIRES: Assisting wildlife in disasters
-
Blue Mountains City Council’s hazardous waste disposal options
-
NSW Fire & Rescue and RFS local brigades
-
State Emergency Service (SES) Blue Mountains
-
Australian Red Cross
-
Local Government NSW (LGNSW)
-
Emertrix: Emergency planning consultants
Talks, Activities & Workshops
Talks & Activities
All day: Betty the Asbestos Education House
Stop playing ‘renovation roulette’ and learn about the often unknown and hidden asbestos in our homes. See below for more info & a preview video.
10:00am – 10:30am: Firecoat – Redefining Fire Protection Through Innovation
Justin Rooney will discuss Firecoat—revolutionary fire protection coatings designed to slow the spread of flames and provide valuable time during bushfires. Learn about its development, real-world applications, and how this breakthrough technology could help make our communities safer.
10:30am – 11:00am: How to build a green roof
Learn from engineer Mark Liebman how he built a green roof in Blackheath to increase biodiversity and reduce fire risk, stormwater runoff and heat. Presented by Mark Liebman – The Sustainability Workshop
11:00am – 11:30am: Fire Halo
Fire Halo is an affordable, easy, safe and quick way to prepare your home against bushfire ember attacks. Presented by Frank Inzitari – Fire Halo
11:30am – 12:00pm: 10 Tips to Build or Renovate for Sustainability and Resilience
Join Kirstie Wulf, a building designer specialising in Hempcrete, natural materials, Passive House design, and bushfire-resilient homes, for an inspiring and practical talk on how to create buildings that truly work with nature. Perfect for homeowners, designers, and anyone passionate about building a better future — naturally. Presented by Kirstie Wulf – Shelter Building Design
1:00pm: Launch of Bushfire Retrofit Toolkit For Older Australians
Sara Jane Wilkinson will report on the research project funded under the Build Back Better scheme, which developed a toolkit for older Australians to help with bushfire resilience decision making. Presented by Sara Jane Wilkinson – University of Technology Sydney
Family Fun
10:00am – 11:00am: Hands, Heart & Feet: This hands-on drumming workshop is a lively, uplifting interactive experience, with a focus on fun, wellbeing, collaboration, and inclusion. It is accessible across a range of ages, cultures and abilities, and no previous drumming experience is required.
10:00am – 4:00pm: Boomerang Bags: Learn to sew plastic-free Christmas gifts including Boomerang Bags, lacy produce bags and cutlery pouches. All ages welcome!
11:00am – 12:00pm: Amelie Ecology: Live music and pollinator hunt
12:00pm: Free fire-retardant plants from Santa
Workshops
10:30am – 11:00pm: Asbestos – What You Can’t See Can Harm You
This session explores how you can identify and manage asbestos to keep you, your family and your tradespeople safe. It also looks at how asbestos behaves after a fire, where it’s commonly found, and how to manage the risk during clean-up. Experts from AHCA and Council will use local examples to show safe practices and available support. Presented by BMCC and Asbestos and Hazardous Materials Consultants Association (AHCA)
11:00am – 11.30am: Mould After Flood: From Damp to Dangerous
Floodwater and moisture can trigger mould growth within days. This session explains how mould spreads through homes, furniture and HVAC systems after inundation, what health effects it can cause, and how to manage small versus serious outbreaks. Presented by BMCC and AHCA
11.30am – 12:00pm: Beyond the Obvious: Other hazardous materials threatening community health
Lead paint flakes, batteries, engineered stone benchtops, chemicals and contaminated soil can threaten the health of families, tradespeople and wildlife. Learn how to manage these and be aware of how hail, wind and runoff can scatter or expose hazardous residues as they move through properties and waterways. Our team will explain how to contain and report them safely. Presented by BMCC and AHCA
12:00pm – 1:00pm: EmergencyRedi Workshop
EmergencyRedi workshops support people to learn about preparing for emergencies and take steps towards building their individual and household resilience. Presented by Australian Red Cross
12:00pm – 1:00pm: Learn how to use a Thermal Imaging camera to help design cooler homes
Explore the latest research on reducing the impact of urban heat. Get hands-on experience with a thermal imaging camera to identify what emits the most radiant heat and how it can be reduced. Presented by Dr Agnieszka Wujeska-Klause – WSU
2:00pm – 4:00pm: Bushfire Retrofit Toolkit Workshop
Learn how to make informed decisions about protecting you, your family and your home. Meet the team who developed the Toolkit and learn to use it in a free, 2-hour interactive workshop. You will have the opportunity to work on case study properties in small groups and ask the team questions about your own property. Free afternoon tea provided. Presented by the University of Technology Sydney
Meet 'Betty' the Asbestos Education House
Stop playing ‘renovation roulette’ and learn about the often unknown and hidden asbestos in our homes with Betty the Asbestos Education House. Find out more about how to manage other hazardous materials like mould, engineered stone, batteries and hazardous chemicals frequently found in our back sheds!
Event Details
When:
10:00am – 4:00pm, Saturday, November 22, 2025
Where:
Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre
33-39 Acacia St Katoomba NSW
Cost:
Free!
To help us plan the day, please register to attend here >
EVENT PARTNER
EVENT SUPPORTERS
© Copyright 2025 Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative • Privacy Policy