Urban governance and vulnerability: exploring the tensions and contradictions in Sydney’s response to bushfire threat

Towards New Disaster Governance: Subsidiarity as a Critical Tool

“…State/Territory Government activities to manage disasters have come to encompass all phases of disaster management. While there has been some state‐based variations, they all broadly have included planning laws to minimize disaster hazards (Gillen, ), establishing command and control centres during disaster events, managing the funding of disaster recovery activities, and conducting post‐disaster inquiries to inform future policies (Britton, ; Kanowski et al ., ; McGowan, ; McLennan and Handmer, ; O'Neill and Handmer, ). To realize such disaster management objectives, however, responsibilities, programmes and activities have been shifted from the prerogative of the State/Territory Government – both formally and informally – to additional disaster management actors that include other tiers of government, NGOs, community groups, the private sector and individuals.…”

“…There is also, embedded within much discussion of ‘the local’, acceptance that it is the level of government that is most easily overcome by disasters. Regarding disaster preparation and mitigation, local governments are ultimately ‘creatures of State Governments’, and, as such, operate on the implementation of their respective State/Territory Governments’ planning policies, such as the hazard maps and related building legislation (Gillen, ; Bajracharya et al ., ; Holland et al ., ). Most councils also develop specific disaster management plans and are involved in the dissemination of disaster preparation information among their constituents; however, during disaster response when the situation escalates, local governments often play a secondary role to state‐based emergency response agencies (Box et al ., ; Oloruntoba, ).…”

Risk Governance

“…This follows from the widespread observation that the action space of many environmental risks transcends the boundaries of municipalities and departments and cannot be adequately managed without raising thorny issues of jurisdiction or authority (Gillen 2005 ). Government leaders are advised to: lengthen planning horizons; consolidate fragmented territory; avoid information and reporting "stovepipes"; harness underemployed and/or dispersed resources; focus on a few priority matters; rely on scientifi c information, expert advice and skilled professional managers.…”

Disaster and emergency management systems in urban areas

“…Their study points to the importance of previous experience, in terms of collaborative practices, for producing more effective results. On the other hand, considering a study on the urban governance of emergency and disaster management of bushfires in Sydney, Australia, Gillen (2005) finds that emergency management governance is effective to the extent that it is inclusive and participatory. Accordingly, it is not only institutional arrangements but the extent to which citizens are involved in the governance process that creates success.…”