Social Policy and Australian Responses

Australia’s policy framework for crisis and emergency management includes both national and state initiatives. The National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework (Australian Government Department of Home Affairs, 2018) outlines strategies for resilience, preparedness, and recovery. The National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022–2032 targets prevention, early intervention, and support for victims of family violence (Australian Government Department of Social Services, 2022).

The Australian Health Management Plan for Pandemic Influenza provides a coordinated approach to managing health crises, including continuity of education services (Australian Government Department of Health, 2019). While these policies provide considerable opportunities for recovery in theory, problems continue with the equitable access to recovery services perceived to be set remote communities, trauma-informed approaches integrated into disaster responses notwithstanding (Gibbs et al., 2013).