Sustainable Disaster Governance and Public Satisfaction in South Australia: A Mixed-Methods Study

Climate-related disasters are placing growing pressure on disaster response systems and public governance, with increasing urgency for sustainable and resilient institutional responses in line with global commitments such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals on climate action, community resilience, and health and wellbeing (SDG 3, 11, and 13). This study examines public satisfaction with Australia’s disaster response system, drawing on evidence from a sample based primarily in South Australia, and investigates how national framework and resource allocation shape perceived system performance, with particular attention to mental health-related concerns. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining survey data from 161 respondents with qualitative interviews to explore both statistical patterns and contextual explanations. The findings indicate that respondents reported mixed and generally below-neutral evaluations of the disaster response system overall, while expressing significant concerns regarding the transparency, fairness, and flexibility of resource allocation. These patterns point to important governance gaps in how disaster response systems are experienced by the public, particularly in relation to visible resource distribution and psychosocial support. Resource allocation showed a stronger association with system satisfaction than the broader national framework. The results also suggest that mental health-related concerns remain insufficiently integrated into disaster response arrangements, particularly in the context of COVID-19. These findings highlight the importance of transparent governance, equitable resource allocation, and greater attention to psychosocial wellbeing in strengthening public confidence in disaster response systems and advancing sustainable governance frameworks. These findings should be interpreted with caution and regarded as indicative rather than nationally representative, given that the empirical sample was drawn primarily from South Australia.