Queensland’s State Disaster Management Group: An all agency response to an unprecedented natural disaster

Abstract

Queensland's management of unprecedented natural disasters in 2010-11 received worldwide acclaim. This article argues that the much publicised and largely effective response to extensive state-wide flooding and cyclone events was not an accident, but rather had foundations that were laid over many years of prior experience in preparing for a diverse range of natural disaster threats - including flood, cyclone, storm and fire. The organisational culture within the state's emergency agencies and the ongoing planning and training at the operational level was important, as was the learning and adaptation that had occurred previously. Queensland's largely 'bottom-up' approach to disaster management that gives responsibility to local government in the first instance, and prioritises collaboration is also an important part of the Queensland model. Effective collaboration requires good working relationships within and between government. In Queensland this was understood and modelled from senior management down, across the range of emergency agencies and the police. While many of these aspects exist in other jurisdictions, this paper argues that one key feature distinguishes Queensland's management of disasters, namely the presence of the State Disaster Management Group, a high level senior officials group, that provides for authoritative, decision making and confirms Queensland's claim to have an 'all hazard, all agency' approach to its disaster management arrangements.