Urban Vulnerability in Sydney: Policy and Institutional Ambiguities in Bushfire Protection

Abstract

Despite the inevitability of the bushfires hazard across the Sydney region, a mismatch exists between reactive technological fixes and proactive social programs which have far-reaching vulnerability and governance consequences. This paper questions the adequacy of current policy and action, revealing contradictions and tensions that expose Sydney's vulnerability and have implications for other Australian cities.

Keywords:

• Bushfire
• Sydney
• urban vulnerability
• urban planning

Acknowledgements

The author is grateful to the two anonymous referees for their comments on an earlier draft of this article.

Notes

1. Throughout this article reference is made to environmental hazards and threats, as opposed to natural hazards and threats. This term is preferred as it allows some recognition of both the natural and human induced bushfire hazard.

2. Notwithstanding this comment, in June 2003 the former Departments of Land and Water Conservation and Planning NSW were merged to create the ‘super department’ known as the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources (DIPNR).

3. The Rural Fire Service is a state agency, established following the Rural Fires Act 1997 and is the principal bushfire fighting body in NSW, responsible for bushfire prevention measures in bushland areas across NSW. The extent of bushland coverage means that this organisation, along with the NSW Fire Brigade, is active across the metropolitan area of Sydney.

4. The National Parks and Wildlife Service is a part of the NSW state government's Department of Environment and Conservation and responsible for land management in designated National Parks and reserves, which extends to bushfire prevention.

5. The terms prevention and protection are used interchangeably in much of the literature on the bushfire threat. However, this author makes a distinction, noting that the inevitability of the bushfire threat across Sydney means that it is difficult to talk about prevention and makes more sense to refer to measures of protection.