The Bourke Street tragedy: Managing recovery

On Friday 20th January, 2017, a vehicle struck a number of pedestrians in the vicinity of Bourke and Queen Streets, Melbourne. Six people died as a direct consequence of the incident and more than 30 people were taken to hospital for treatment. The incident had far-reaching consequences for the wider Melbourne community and challenged all agencies involved to develop and deliver recovery efforts unique to the incident. This paper details the perspective of the two lead agencies from the government-led recovery processes. The time period covered is from the occurrence of the incident until the one-year anniversary. This paper describes the multi-agency response particular to the Australian context and the milestones throughout the recovery process that put the victims' voice at the centre. An outcomes- based approach informed the recovery priorities delivered. The Bourke Street tragedy tested established recovery processes and systems and in doing so led to many new and improved ways of working.