Post-bushfire social research: Lessons for improving information sharing and community safety | Natural Hazards Research Australia

Post-bushfire social research: Lessons for improving information sharing and community safety

Photo: CFA
Research theme
Project type

Commissioned research

Project status

In planning

The project will focus on three communities that were or are impacted by bushfire and/or grassfire between 2024 to 2026. This research aims to understand how information was shared between actors as well as understood and used by community members to inform decision-making before, during and after the fire.

Project details

The project will focus on three communities that are impacted by a bushfire and/or grassfire incident between 2024 to 2026. The selection of the communities will depend on where fires occur and the requests of CFA members for social research over the next two fire seasons. By providing a structured and responsive approach to post event social research, CFA is better able to efficiently and effectively respond to research requests and future fire events.

Social research methods are well placed to understand how information was shared between state, regional and local actors before, during and after a fire and how this information influenced the decisions taken by members of the community and, therefore, the consequences of a fire by:

  • understanding the roles of government personnel at state, regional and local levels as well as community members in the sharing of information before, during, and after a bushfire/grassfire.
  • understanding how community members responded to bushfires/grassfires and what information/support informed their decisions.
  • using the understandings gained from this project to identify opportunities for improvements to policy and practice.