The Bourke Street tragedy: Managing recovery
Abstract
On Friday 20th January, 2017, a vehicle struck a number of pedestrians in the vicinity of Bourke and Queen Streets, Melbourne. Six people died as a direct consequence of the incident and more than 30 people were taken to hospital for treatment. The incident had far-reaching consequences for the wider Melbourne community and challenged all agencies involved to develop and deliver recovery efforts unique to the incident. This paper details the perspective of the two lead agencies from the government-led recovery processes. The time period covered is from the occurrence of the incident until the one-year anniversary. This paper describes the multi-agency response particular to the Australian context and the milestones throughout the recovery process that put the victims’ voice at the centre. An outcomes- based approach informed the recovery priorities delivered. The Bourke Street tragedy tested established recovery processes and systems and in doing so led to many new and improved ways of working.
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Author's Biography
Sara Coward is Manager, Emergency Management West Division Department of Health and Human Services Victorian Government. As the Regional Recovery Manager for West Division, Sara worked closely with the City of Melbourne in the Bourke Street recovery effort. Recent recovery experiences include the Scotsburn and Wye River Separation Creek bushfires and Southwest complex fires, the Grampians floods, and the high-rise fire at Docklands.
Dean Griggs is the Municipal Recovery Manager for the City of Melbourne. Dean was responsible for the recovery efforts for the Lacrosse Building fire and evacuation at Docklands, which saw 400 people displaced for up to one month following the fire. Dean has also been responsible for two incidents involving hostile vehicles: the Bourke Street tragedy in January 2017 and the Flinders Street incident in December 2017.
Citation
Coward, Sara and Griggs, Dean (2019, March 1). The Bourke Street tragedy: Managing recovery. In the Journal of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning, Volume 12, Issue 3. https://doi.org/10.69554/HEAM5723.
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