Community and economic impact of Black Saturday investigated in Journal

With a focus on reflections and learnings in the decade since the Black Saturday fires, the April edition of the Australian Journal of Emergency Management is now available and features several articles on CRC research.  

CRC researcher Dr Josh Whittaker from the University of Wollongong takes an in depth look at findings from the Bushfire CRC 2009 Victorian Bushfires Research Taskforce, as well as reviews findings from subsequent post-fire research to consider the extent to which there have been changes in findings related to community planning, preparedness and responses to bushfire. The findings suggest that many of the issues encountered on Black Saturday—limited awareness of and preparedness for bushfire risk, a tendency for leaving (or evacuating) at the last moment and a commitment to defending, even under the highest levels of fire danger—persist, despite major changes to policy and public messaging. 

From the Tools supporting fire management in northern Australia project, Dr Kamaljit Sangha, Dr Andrew Edwards and Prof Russell Smith from Charles Darwin University explore how people in the Northern Territory, through Indigenous ranger groups, can contribute effectively to the mitigation and delivery of emergency services. Using three remote communities as case studies, the potential engagement opportunities with ranger groups was explored to identify solutions to deliver efficient, cost-effective and culturally appropriate emergency services. A collaborative policy framework involving emergency services organisations and Indigenous communities is proposed to mitigate and manage incidents while meeting Indigenous cultural protocols.  

New research from the Diversity and inclusion: building strength and capability project is also featured within the magazine. Authors Celeste Young and Roger Jones from Victoria University look at escalating natural hazard risks due to social, environmental and economic drivers and how they require a transformation in the ways they are managed and by whom. Their paper summarises findings from an assessment of the diversity and inclusion literature relevant to the emergency management sector. Three case studies that are key elements of their project are examined. 

Prof Mehmet Ulubasoglu and Farah Beaini from Deakin University investigated the economic impact of the 2009 fires in Victoria, covering the initial and obvious cost of the devastation, as well as the more hidden and enduring economic loss that is still being counted today. Their article, as part of the Optimising post-disaster recovery interventions in Australia project 'Black Saturday bushfires: counting the cost ' examines the income-effect and the economic resilience during the recovery stage from natural hazards.

Dr Melanie Taylor and Dr Katharine Haynes of Macquarie University, in partnership with the State Emergency Services across Australia, examined the two behaviours most closely associated with flood fatalities – driving into and recreating in floodwater. Their article looks at the flood safety messages used extensively and consistently in Australia such as ‘If it’s flooded, forget it’, ‘Never drive, ride or walk through floodwater’ and ‘Don’t play in flood water’, noting that although the messages are clear, unambiguous and definitive, people continue to enter floodwater. this research is part of the Flood risk communication project.

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The  Australian Journal of Emergency Management  is published by the  Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience.