Thank You for Joining Us at ACEFA 2026
Thank you to everyone who attended the Australian Community Engagement and Fire Awareness (ACEFA) Conference 2026, held from 2–4 July at Novotel Wollongong Northbeach.
Together, we explored innovative approaches to community engagement, learned from leading practitioners and celebrated the vital role that engagement plays in building safer, more resilient communities.
A heartfelt thank you to our presenters, sponsors, exhibitors, volunteers, organising committee and every delegate who contributed to the success of ACEFA 2026. Your willingness to share your experiences, challenge thinking and collaborate with colleagues made this conference a memorable and valuable experience for all.
We hope you leave feeling inspired, connected and equipped with new ideas to support your communities. While ACEFA 2026 has come to a close, the conversations, partnerships and ideas sparked throughout the conference will continue to shape the future of community engagement.
Thank you for being part of ACEFA 2026. We look forward to welcoming you back for ACEFA 2028. Details on the next conference will be announced in due course, and we can’t wait to reconnect as we continue working together to build safer, stronger and more prepared communities.
For any questions regarding ACEFA or RFS community engagement, please contact community.engagement@rfs.nsw.gov.au
2 - 4 July 2026 | Novotel Wollongong Northbeach
ACEFA 2026 Conference
The Australian Community Engagement and Fire Awareness (ACEFA) Conference has been a key event for RFS community engagement practitioners since the late 1990s.
ACEFA 2026 comes at an important time for the Service and will help reposition community engagement as a core part of our purpose and vision.
The conference reinforces that community engagement is a vital risk treatment and a central part of how we serve. As our communities change in diversity, connectivity and expectations, our approaches must change too.
ACEFA offers space to reflect on current practice, share insights across jurisdictions, and build the skills, tools and partnerships needed to support preparedness and strengthen how we serve communities across NSW.
The ACEFA 2026 theme, ‘Evolving Engagement, Tailored Action, Prepared Communities’, speaks to the need to adapt to changing risks and expectations, use research and data in locally relevant ways, and work with communities as active partners in reducing risk.
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