A narrative documentary podcast series about communities, government, power and recovery.

One of the things natural disasters do really well is rip away our sense of control. And so it's critical that the road of recovery is paved with voice and agency. 

We need new ideas for how governments can share power, for how communities can step up and for how democracy works in the wake of a disaster.

Over nine episodes documentary audio maker Kate Lawrence, also a former CFA educator and community recovery officer, will talk to people from Macedon to Mallacoota and experts in recovery, history and political science. And she'll explore concepts, structures and practical processes, that offer us ways we can dramatically improve our democratic path to recovery.  There's no magic formula, but there are really good ideas we need to talk about and practice.

Year: 2025

Format: 9 episodes, between 42 and 66 minutes long.

This podcast was supported by a grant from the National Australia Bank.

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1. After the End
1. After the End

The 2009 Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria that devastated Steve Pascoe’s small community of Strathewen. While everyone pulled together, as people do the world over after a disaster, the folks of Strathewen were worried that the systems meant to help them, might instead further harm them. They set out to find a better democratic way to support them to recover and flourish again as a community.

2. Community at the Crossroads
2. Community at the Crossroads

In this episode we look at the Ash Wednesday bushfires of 1983 in Macedon, the home town of host Kate Lawrence, and the experiences of community leader Morna Kenworthy. We explore the complexities of recovery, the slow, bureaucratic government response and the pivotal role of the local community.  We see how the contrast between the rigid structures of public administration with the flexible, ground-level initiatives led by ordinary people, highlights the clash between established systems and grassroots resilience.

3. Flames of History
3. Flames of History

In episode three of 'Democracy After Disaster,' we delve into the historical impact and aftermath of the devastating Black Friday bushfires in 1939, acknowledging the deep history of indigenous fire management practices, ignored by the colonists at their peril. The episode then tracks across the 20th century exploring changes in community-government relationships, the activism and experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and the evolving landscape of disaster recovery and democracy in Australia.