When fire becomes part of life, resilience isn’t about escape — it’s about design, preparedness, and neighbours who have your back. This free 44-page RetroSuburbia extract covers bushfire defence retrofits and household disaster planning across two essential dimensions of suburban survival.

A science-backed bushfire safety guide by Joan Webster, drawing on CSIRO bushfire research. Using clear dot-point format, it walks readers through every aspect of bushfire preparation and response. Considered a foundational reference for fire-prone regions of Australia, with a demonstrated history of helping people survive wildfires.

Albert Bates and Kathleen Draper examine biochar and biomass systems as tools for carbon sequestration and climate stabilisation that go beyond conventional renewable energy narratives. A grounded contribution to regenerative agriculture and climate solutions.

Originally published in 1991 and updated with a foreword reflecting on the 2009 Black Saturday fires, The Flywire House documents a post-bushfire permaculture design project in Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges. Holmgren and architect Maggie Fooke used the design as a case study integrating passive cooling, fire resilience, and whole-systems thinking.

A standalone RetroSuburbia chapter covering practical strategies for retrofitting homes and landscapes to reduce bushfire vulnerability. Addresses building materials, vegetation management, water storage, and defensible space design — framing bushfire resilience as an integrated design problem rather than an emergency response.

A standalone RetroSuburbia chapter focused on developing practical preparedness, skills, and behavioural responses to crises, enabling households to respond effectively to disruptions and shocks. Addresses bushfire, flood, power outage, and economic disruption through everyday habits and relationship-building rather than stockpiling.