Disasters and Demographic Change of ‘Single-Industry’ Towns—Decline and Resilience in Morwell, Australia

Deanne Bird, Andrew Taylor

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)
394 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

In 2014, an open-cut coal mine fire burned for 45 days in the small single-industry town of Hazelwood in Victoria (Australia) spreading smoke and ash across the adjacent community of Morwell. This chapter examines the extent to which the mine fire acted as a catalyst for demographic and socio-economic change and considers how, if at all, it impacted Morwell’s resilience to disasters. We report on a range of secondary data analyses augmented with qualitative insights captured in government reports (namely, the Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry reports), as well as from related research papers and media articles. We suggest that a succession of structural and demographic changes meant that the town and its residents were accustomed and resilient to relatively large shocks. In this sense, the Morwell and broader Latrobe Valley population banded together around various community-led initiatives to fight for a better future for their community.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationThe Demography of Disasters
Subtitle of host publicationImpacts for Population and Place
EditorsDávid Karácsonyi, Andrew Taylor, Deanne Bird
PublisherSpringer
Pages125-151
Number of pages27
Edition1
ISBN (Electronic)978-3-030-49920-4
ISBN (Print)978-3-030-49919-8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 17 Sept 2020

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2021.

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