For years, Palladium’s Humanitarian Logistics Capability (HLC) team have been facilitating the timely, effective, and flexible delivery of the Australian Government’s humanitarian assistance and emergency relief program around the world.

When natural disasters or humanitarian crises strike – as they have recently in Türkiye, Papua New Guinea, and across the Pacific – getting supplies and relief on the ground quickly can mean the difference between life and death. These supplies can include anything from blankets, lanterns, and shelter kits, to hygiene supplies, and in-country logistics support like trucks and translators.

Behind the scenes, this means having a multi-faceted and multi-skilled team that is ready to respond at all times.

Brad Bell is the Inventory Controller on the HLC team, based out of the Brisbane Warehouse. Covering 10,000 square metres of total storage, the warehouse can store 3,500 pallet positions, supporting 11,000 families (or up to 55,000 people) in a disaster. For Bell, crisis response is a true team effort. “You quickly realise that every minute counts.”

“Everything we do needs to be efficient, because it’s about saving lives. We have some talented people on the team, and we can leverage each other’s knowledge and expertise during a crisis. We can multitask, work quickly, and problem solve well on the fly,” he explains.

Bell plays an essential role in the early stages of a crisis response, coordinating supplies as they leave the humanitarian warehouse. He knows firsthand that no two responses are the same, but the end impact is worth it every time.

“After a while you’re just looking at boxes, crates and pallets, but when you see the images of the supplies being given out to people who really need that support in a crisis…everything else just pales in comparison. People know Australia has their back.”

Like Bell, HLC’s Ebony Laurie is proud of the role she plays in the emergency response supply chain. As the Senior Response Lead, Laurie has supported Australia's responses to natural disasters in Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Tonga, and Kiribati.

“I feel like logistics is the glue that holds everything together, in terms of being able to respond effectively, timely and efficiently. Nothing can happen without good logistics,” she says.

Whether she’s deploying people to the field, managing budgets, engaging with the client, or coordinating freight, Laurie is a professional problem solver when a crisis strikes.

“I become more focused when I’m under a bit of pressure, going through it quite methodically and checking through every solution,” she says. “Finding creative and efficient solutions to problems is what I really like about this role.”

Joining them on the logistics forefront is Leah McDonald, HLC’s Logistics Liaison Officer.

When a catastrophic landslide struck Papua New Guinea’s Mulitaka Enga Province in May 2024, McDonald oversaw Australia's humanitarian supplies that left for Papua New Guinea. Over four days, she helped move 52,000kg worth of humanitarian supplies.

“My role is mainly about communicating between the Response Leads and Defence to make sure that we’re all on the same page, as well as making sure all our items in the warehouse get delivered to Air Movements and that it all gets on the aircraft,” explains McDonald.

Her background and expertise with the Royal Australian Air Force is a welcome addition to each disaster response.

“There are always different priorities; it’s always changing. Because of my Defence background, I’m talking to the people who I used to be. I can understand what they need to know and give them an idea on what we’re bringing to them – which helps them understand what resources they need.”

With their experiences combined, the warehouse team provide a united front when it comes to Australia’s emergency response in the Pacific. Alongside the rest of Palladium’s talented HLC team, they bring agile and impactful solutions to some of the region’s most complex humanitarian relief efforts.

Palladium has been providing logistical support for the Australian Government’s humanitarian relief efforts since 1987 including responding on the ground to some of the biggest disasters in the Pacific.