Local government is at the sharp end of every possible social, environmental and economic challenge facing our communities. And so it may feel as if we have enough on our plates already, with many of the most vulnerable members of our population already in different states of acute crisis, with highly limited state resources to make a dent in the long-term and structural causes of inequality and poverty.

And yet the world continues to unfold in highly unpredictable and disturbing ways, which increase the levels of threat we face, whether as a result of extreme storms, floods, future pandemics, acts of extreme violence – or even attempted attacks on our critical infrastructure.