Dr Michael Eburn

ANU College of Law

P: 02 6125 6424

E: michael.eburn@anu.edu.au

After the disaster learning – to do it better

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After the disaster learning

• Since 1886 there have been at least 256 post disaster inquiries. But disasters still happen.

• Our focus is on the learning, not the disaster. Can we learn better?

• Independent inquiries, in particular Royal Commissions and Coroner’s inquests, have costs and benefits.

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Benefits

• High prestige;• Independent of government;• Public;• Coercive powers to compel testimony and

the production of documents.

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Costs

• Fall back on legal procedures leading to increased time and cost.

• Coercive powers are not required where agencies are part of government and can be directed to cooperate.

• Can become adversarial and focus on blame or fault.

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Regehr et al

Have identified that involvement in post event inquiries … was associated with significantly higher levels of traumatic stress symptoms and depression … many emergency responders experience the review process as more taxing than the critical event itself’.’

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They work well

• To reveal corruption and maladministration but that is not the issue post disaster.

• Firefighters and paramedics have rated as the two most trusted professions since the Readers’ Digest survey began in 2006!

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Motivation for calling an inquiry

• Not just to learn the lessons but for political reasons too.

• An inquiry can buy time, divert attention from government, reassure people that government takes the matter seriously.

• They ‘play an important role … in mitigating public anxieties, and elaborating fantasies of omnipotence and control’.

• But the politics can get in the way.

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Can we find a better way to learn…

• That will be the focus of our ongoing research, looking at alternative and standing bodies to conduct post event inquiries.

• The identified priorities:– Benchmark against other lessons learned

centres and– Maintain independence from government and

agencies.