Resilience in Complex Adaptive Systems: The Relationship Between Planning and Institutional Resilience in Bushfire-Prone Regional Australia

Abstract

Research on institutional resilience in complex adaptive systems, such as regional towns in Australia, demonstrates that resilience to bushfire events results from complex interactions between the capacities of different organisations and those of individual community members at various scales. However, in the face of disaster – when most or all of these capabilities break down – the ultimate level of resilience lies within individuals. This reality indicates that planning measures must be mindful of their impact not only on the resilience of targeted organisations, but also on the resilience of individuals within the community. This raises important implications for the traditional institutional separation of disaster functions—Preparation, Response, Relief, and Recovery—especially as the professionalisation of bushfire services increases the divide between agencies and individuals. This paper presents findings on institutional resilience to bushfire through a case study of Bendigo, a regional Australian city affected during the 2009 bushfires.