Using an ecological model to guide transformative place-based pathways to regional business disaster recovery

The escalating frequency, severity and scale of disasters and predicted more frequent epidemics and pandemics threatens the economic and social fabric of regional communities in Australia. This article reports on findings from two case studies conducted in South Australia that explored regional business recovery pathways following the Black Summer fires (2019/2020) and the COVID-19 pandemic. We used Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory of human development to analyse data from 18 interviews with small business owners. We found that the linkages between systems are where the most effective support occurs and yet these linkages are often missing, under-resourced and captured by unhelpful definitions of resilience and self-reliance. We explored the complex mix of supports that already exist in communities, as well as supports delivered by different levels of government, to provide insights regarding the types and timing of these supports. Our findings contribute to developing place-based approaches to navigate pathways for regional businesses to recover and thrive post-disaster. Our findings are relevant beyond this study, providing guidance to those working with communities to foster transformative place-based recovery. • Ecological systems theory can inform transformative place-based disaster recovery • Strong linkages between systems fosters effective disaster recovery • Uncritically framing resilience as positive can be harmful