Diagnosing the Institutional Forces Impacting Australia’s Aerial Firefighting Capability

Abstract

Climate change is resulting in more wildfires, and increasingly, there are overlapping wildfire seasons between the northern and southern hemispheres. The changing climate is especially impacting the nature of aerial firefighting. This study uses an institutional lens to analyse the resources and structures associated with aerial firefighting in Australia. A set of convergent interviews of subject matter experts surfaced the key issues that have led to the current aerial firefighting situation in Australia and showed the relationships between issues. The convergent interviewing method is used to identify the core, common issues that influence the aerial firefighting system in Australia. The results highlight how aerial firefighting suffers due to the complexities that exist between the states and from a lack of a national strategy. A lack of process standardisation, an overreliance on, often international, LATs and the lack of a coordinated mitigation approach are particularly notable specific issues. Institutional theory suggests that Australia’s aerial firefighting capability has succumbed to isomorphic pressures, with the desire for legitimacy driving ever-increasing institutionalization. To respond to the changing environment, institutional entrepreneurs will be needed to create new norms and significantly change the embedded structures.