COMMUNITY LEVEL INFLUENCE ON INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOURS

COMMUNITY LEVEL INFLUENCE ON INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOURS

FINAL REPORT FOR THE HUMAN BEHAVIOUR UNDER STRESS PROJECT

Prof David Morrison1, Prof Carmen Lawrence2 and Dr Raoul Oehmen2

Murdoch University1, The University of Western Australia2

? BUSHFIRE AND NATUAL HAZARDS CRC LTD 2014

? Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre 2014. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from the copyright owner, except under the conditions permitted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 and subsequent amendments. ISBN: 978-0-9925684-4-3 Cover: A firefighter addressing a community meeting. Photo by CFA Communities and Communication. Citation: Morrison D, Lawrence C and Oehmen R, (2014) Community Level Influence on Individual Behaviours, Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, Australia, ISBN: 978-0-9925684-4-3 Disclaimer: Murdoch University, The University of Western Australia and the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre advise that the information contained in this publication comprises general statements based on scientific research. The reader is advised and needs to be aware that such information may be incomplete or unable to be used in any specific situation. No reliance or actions must therefore be made on that information without seeking prior expert professional, scientific and technical advice. To the extent permitted by law, Murdoch University, The University of Western Australia and the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre (including its employees and consultants) exclude all liability to any person for any consequences, including but not limited to all losses, damages, costs, expenses and any other compensation, arising directly or indirectly from using this publication (in part or in whole) and any information or material contained in it.

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Acknowledgements

The University of Western Australia Bushfire CRC Communities Project team would like to acknowledge the assistance of a number of individuals and agencies that have made this research possible. We would like to thank the state fire and emergency services agencies for their assistance including the Western Australian Fire and Emergency Services Authority/Department of Fire and Emergency Services, the Tasmanian Fire Service, the South Australian Country Fire Service, and the Victorian Country Fire Authority. A special mention goes out to Suellen Shea (FESA/DFES), John Gilbert (CFA), Fiona Dunstan (CFS), and Damian Killalea (TFS) for their assistance with the content of the questionnaires for their respective jurisdictions. Thanks are also due to Adj. Prof. Jim McLennan, Prof. Douglas Paton and Prof. Peter Fairbrother for offering their conceptual expertise in the planning stages of this project and throughout.

Without the assistance of a range of people at the University of Western Australia and from the Bushfire CRC this work would not have come together. We are indebted to the assistance provided by the UWA Department of Psychology staff, as well as to Ms Margaret Bowden and Dr Ilona (Illy) McNeill for their work and input on the project. Finally, we extend our appreciation to the staff of the Bushfire CRC for allowing this project to go ahead and supporting us throughout the experience. We are grateful to Annette Allen and Lyndsey Wright for the hard work they have put in.

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgements................................................................................................................................. 2 1. Executive Summary............................................................................................................................. 6

Key findings......................................................................................................................................... 7 Initial investigations: post-fire questionnaires (Chapter 4) ............................................................ 7 Survey of fire prone communities in Western Australia (Chapter 7) ............................................. 7 Survey of fire prone communities in South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania (Chapter 8) ............ 8

2. End User Statement ..........................................................................................................................11 3. Communities and Bushfire Preparedness: A Background ................................................................12

3.1. Introduction to the Problem......................................................................................................12 3.2. Preparedness ............................................................................................................................. 13 3.3. Community ................................................................................................................................ 14 3.4. Interactions between Individual and Community Level Influences .......................................... 16 3.5. Selected Community Level Variables ........................................................................................ 18 Social Capital.....................................................................................................................................18

Place Attachment..........................................................................................................................23 Risk perception ............................................................................................................................. 23 3.6. Concluding Overview of the Research Schedule ........................................................................... 24 4. Initial Investigations: Roleystone-Kelmscott, Red Hill & Gidgegannup Post Fire Questionnaires....25 4.1. Fires at Roleystone/Kelmscott and Red Hill: Rationale for Post Fire Questionnaires ............... 25 4.2. Questionnaire Development and Distribution .......................................................................... 26 4.3. Results: Observable Community Preparedness Differences ..................................................... 28 Response Rates and Demographic Data ....................................................................................... 28 Bushfire Preparedness Actions Undertaken ................................................................................. 31 Perceived Likelihood of Bushfire................................................................................................... 33 Involvement with Bushfire Brigades and Bushfire Ready Groups ................................................ 35 4.4 Discussion ................................................................................................................................... 36 5. Pilot Study: Qualitative Research......................................................................................................38 5.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 38 5.2. Research Design.........................................................................................................................38 Research Methodology: Grounded Theory .................................................................................. 38 5.3 Data Collection Methods: Episodic Interviews and Participant Observation.............................38 Episodic Interviews ....................................................................................................................... 38 Sampling and Interviews...............................................................................................................38 5.4. Data Analysis: Grounded Theory Analysis Techniques..............................................................40 5.5 Results and Discussion................................................................................................................40 Key Community Actors..................................................................................................................40 Community-level Preparedness....................................................................................................41

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Individual Level Variables and Preparedness................................................................................45 5.6. Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 52 6. Refinement of a Measure of Community Preparedness ..................................................................53 6.1 Derivation of Preparedness Items .............................................................................................. 53 6.2 Development of a Short Version of the Preparedness Scale......................................................54 6.3 The Final Scale ............................................................................................................................ 62

The Development and Validation of the Bushfire Psychological Preparedness Scale (BPPS) ...... 65 6.4. Feature: Ph.D. Candidate Jessica Stacey (Psychological Preparedness) ................................... 65 7. Western Australian Communities Questionnaire.............................................................................67 7.1 Communities and Bushfire Preparedness .................................................................................. 67 7.2. Feature: Ph.D. Candidate Charis Anton (Place Attachment) ..................................................... 68

Place Attachment and Bushfire Preparedness ............................................................................. 68 7.3. Questionnaire Development and Composition.........................................................................69 7.4. Selection of Communities & Responses .................................................................................... 74

Selection of Communities ............................................................................................................. 74 Response Rates ............................................................................................................................. 78 7.5 Results and Analysis....................................................................................................................79 General Demographic Information...............................................................................................79 Individual and Community Bushfire Preparedness (Dependent Variable) ................................... 87 Community Level Variables...........................................................................................................89 Individual Level Variables..............................................................................................................95 Regression Analyses......................................................................................................................99 7.6 Discussion ................................................................................................................................. 105 Individual level variables.............................................................................................................105 Community Level Variables.........................................................................................................106 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 109 8.1 Communities and Bushfire Preparedness Across Three States................................................110 Community Level Differences Across States...............................................................................110 The Theory of Planned Behaviour...............................................................................................111 8.2. Feature: Ph.D. Candidate Andrew Chapman (Person/Community Fit) ................................... 113 Understanding Community and Preparedness: Building Towards Bushfire Prepared Individuals .................................................................................................................................................... 113 8.3. Questionnaire Development and Composition.......................................................................114 8.4. Selection of Communities & Responses .................................................................................. 119 Selection of Communities ........................................................................................................... 119 Response Rates ........................................................................................................................... 123

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