1st Edition

Disaster Management in Australia Government Coordination in a Time of Crisis

By George Carayannopoulos Copyright 2018
    190 Pages 7 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    190 Pages 7 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    In recent times the frequency and severity of natural disasters has placed a clear emphasis on the ability of governments to plan, prepare and respond in an effective way. Disaster Management in Australia examines government coordination when faced with large scale crises, outlining the challenges in managing events such as the 2009 Victorian bushfires and 2011 Queensland floods.

    The public sector is equipped to deal with policy and service delivery in more routine environments, but crisis management often requires a wider government response where leadership, coordination, social capital, organisational culture and institutions are intertwined in the preparation, response and aftermath of large scale crises.

    As crises continue to increase in prevalence and severity, this book provides a tangible framework to conceptualise crisis management which can be utilised by researchers, emergency services and government officials alike.

    Disaster Management in Australia is an important contribution to the study of government coordination of crises and, as such, will be of considerable interest to students and scholars of disaster management, and to policy makers and practitioners looking to refine their approach.

    Chapter One: The challenge of managing crises

    Chapter Two: Crisis management and whole of government  - comfortable bedfellows

    Chapter Three: Black Saturday - a state in ashes

    Chapter Four: Under water but spirits high - The Queensland floods

    Chapter Five: Not all crises are created equal

    Chapter Six: The flames and water are gone - crisis management in Australia

    Biography

    George Carayannopoulos is Head of the Higher Degree Research Centre at the University of Sydney, Australia, and an Associate Member of the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre. George has held a number of senior positions in management and research development. He has a background in policy development, analysis and evaluation and his research areas include public policy collaboration, interagency coordination and crisis management.