Meet Yoland Higgs - Community Recovery Consultant with the Resilience Readiness Scorecard Project.

Tell us a bit about yourself

I’m a Social Worker with a career spanning more than 26 years, and I’ve recently made the move to Hervey Bay. I’m passionate about supporting communities and organisations to build resilience and wellbeing, particularly in times of challenge and change.

What is a quick summary of your professional background?

Most of my career has been in South Australia, working across human services, primarily in Child Protection. I began in youth justice detention centres and later took on roles in governance and executive support, including managing Statewide Volunteers, coordinating the Ministerial Briefing Unit, and leading service development across the state as well as the Far North Far West Region (including the APY Lands). I also had a strong focus on workplace wellbeing through my long-term role as chair of the Child Protection WH&S Committee, with particular emphasis on psychological health.

More recently, I spent almost three years at COGNITION, a private psychological practice, providing counselling through employee assistance programs, trauma response, and post-incident support for NGOs and government agencies. This included supporting fire stations, leadership teams, and individuals dealing with traumatic events and chronic workplace stress. Alongside direct counselling, I developed and implemented evidence-based strategies to improve both individual and organisational wellbeing.

I hold a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Adelaide and a postgraduate degree in Social Administration (Social Work) from Flinders University.

What drew you to work with HBNC?

Moving to Hervey Bay, I was eager to connect with an organisation that shares my values around community wellbeing, connectedness, and resilience. HBNC stood out as a place where I could meaningfully contribute my experience while also being part of an organisation making a real difference in people’s lives.

How do you see your role making a difference in the lives of the community’s most vulnerable?

In my role as Community Recovery Consultant, I’ll be facilitating the Resilience Readiness Scorecard Project with local community service organisations. By strengthening organisational resilience in the face of increasing disasters, I hope to ensure that these frontline services can continue delivering crucial support to the community’s most vulnerable members when they need it most.

What’s one thing you hope to see happen or change for our community?

I’d like to see our community become better prepared for the unexpected—whether that’s natural disasters or other challenges—by fostering stronger, more resilient organisations and networks. A connected and prepared community is a safer, healthier, and more supportive one for everyone.