Disaster Waste Management Following the 2009 Victorian Bushfires

The 2009 Black Saturday Bushfires in Victoria, Australia, killed 173 people and affected 430,000 hectares of land. Before communities could begin to rebuild, tonnes of burnt and potentially hazardous debris had to be removed. Interviews were carried out with professionals involved in, and community members affected by, the debris waste management process. The data collected indicated that although there had been little prior planning for how to deal with disaster waste on this scale, there was a collective response to move with urgency towards a common goal: to remove public health hazards and to get communities into the rebuilding process as quickly as possible. Five key decisions were made during the clean-up process: the establishment of the Victorian Bushfire Recovery and Reconstruction Authority; full government funding for building demolition; the single waste classification; the appointment of a single managing contractor; and the construction of a new landfill cell. For each key decision the following are analysed: the decision-making process; delays: organisational considerations; legal implications; and environmental, economic and social effects. Overall the demolition and debris removal response was successful, however, the response would have benefited from greater prior planning. Planning is necessary to give decision-makers the tools and information necessary to make timely, effective and coordinated decisions after any given event.