Managing Crises; the Tales of Queensland and Victoria

Abstract

In recent years Australia has seen a number of large scale disasters which have tested community resilience and the ability of governments to respond effectively in the face of significant challenges. The Victorian Bushfires (2009) and Queensland Floods (2011) represent two such events which have had a significant impact on the relevant communities, as well as posing broader questions regarding the way in which governments utilise connected or whole of government frameworks to respond. This paper will provide an overview of key characteristics related to each of the case studies, with a view to understanding how these may have led to different outcomes in terms of the whole of government response. It will consider the context of each of the case studies including policy orientations, organisational structures and the approach that each jurisdiction took leading up to and in the immediate aftermath of the crisis before providing an analysis of the two cases.