Community resilience, public policy, community development, behaviour change, behavioural economics, population health, evaluation practice, 

Susan is currently investigating community-led systems for flood monitoring and warning systems in the NSW Northern Rivers Region.

She completed her PhD in disaster resilience policy implementation in 2020. She later researched community resilience for emergencies in local government policy for the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre (now the Natural Hazards Research Australia) and was contracted to the National Recovery and Resilience Agency to develop the 1st national mental health plan for was cemergency services workers.  

Prior to her PhD candidature she worked for nearly two decades in the Australian Public Service (APS) developing national disaster management and national mental health policies and programs.  This followed her earlier career in the Hunter region of NSW as a general and mental health nurse in hospitals and in community health and health education.

Her APS roles included:

Australian and New Zealand Emergency Management Committee Secretariat

A major focus of these committees was to oversee the implementation of the National Strategy for Disaster Resilience and report to COAG on progress.  While here, Susan was a member of the Project Advisory Group during 2011-12 for the National Emergency Management Program project: Developing a model and tool to measure community disaster resilience by the Torrens Resilience Institute.

National Disaster Recovery Taskforce

Developed national disaster recovery policy to support Queensland and Victorian reconstruction following the severe flooding events and Tropical Cyclone Yasi in 2010-11.

Disaster Preparedness and Recovery 

Monitored and reported to government on emerging disasters and developed and coordinated national disaster preparedness and recovery assistance programs. While here, Susan contributed as a Writing Group member to the Australian Emergency Management Series: Community Recovery Handbook 2, 3rd Edition. 2011. Commonwealth of Australia.

http://www.em.gov.au/Documents/AEMHS%202%20Community%20Recovery.PDF

Office of Health Protection

National health security and health emergency (including pandemic planning) policy, planning and response.

Hunt, S., Yarra Ranges Council with Knox and Maroondah City Councils. 2020. Assessing Community Resilience for Emergencies in Local Government Policy – Final Report, Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre. Available at: https://www.bnhcrc.com.au/sites/default/files/managed/downloads/assessing_community_resilience_for_emergencies_in_local_government_policy.pdf

Hunt, S. 2020. ‘Implementing disaster resilience in the Australian Federation’ Thesis for degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Australian National University, awarded 21 December 2020. Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/1885/216714 on ANU Open Research repository

Hunt, S. & Eburn, M. 2018. ‘How Can Business Share Responsibility for Disaster Resilience?’ Australian Journal of Public Administration, 77, 482-491. Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1467-8500.12320

Hunt, S. 2017. ‘Implementing policy to enable disaster resilience in the Australian Federation’. Conference Paper, Australasian Fire and Emergencies Services Authorities Council (AFAC) Annual Conference 2017, Sydney, Australia. Available at: file:///C:/Users/rra352/Downloads/hunt_pr_final.pdf file:///C:/Users/rra352/Downloads/d1_1420_c4.04_susan_hunt.pdf

Hunt, S. 2016. ‘Building adaptive capacities for disaster resilience: what role forgovernment?’ Australian Journal of Emergency Management, 31, 31-36. Available at: https://search.informit.org/doi/epdf/10.3316/informit.020177952098227

Hunt, S. 2005. ‘Whole of Government: Does Working Together work? ‘Australian National University Occasional Paper Series. (Policy Analysis Report prepared for ANU Master of Public Policy, awarded level of High Distinction). Available at: https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/43012/2/PDP05-1.pdf