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Australian Journal of Emergency Management, Volume 31, Number
Presented at AFAC16 - the annual conference of AFAC and the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Research CRC in Brisbane, August 2016. ABSTRACT This paper presents research Building community from collaboration between the Cyclone Testing Station (CTS) cyclone resilience at James Cook University and insurer Suncorp over the last two years. A key outcome of through academic and this work has been an insurance premium reduction program by Suncorp known as the insurance industry ‘Cyclone Resilience Benefit’. Background research conducted for the program by the CTS partnership is discussed and its details are briefly reviewed. Insights Jon Harwood, Suncorp Group Limited, and Dr Daniel J. Smith and from the program delivery to Dr David Henderson, Cyclone Testing Station, detail an academic- over 14 000 homeowners to industry partnership to bring cost benefits to cyclone-prone date are discussed. Although still in preliminary stages, the communities. development of this industry program based on academic research demonstrates the benefits of strategic Introduction partnerships in the field of Australia’s annual insured losses due to natural disasters exceed $480 million natural disaster risk mitigation. on average (ICA 2014), continuously highlighting the need for well-designed Figure 1: Insurance losses by natural hazard (ICA 2014). homes and infrastructure. Cyclone and severe storm events are particularly costly, contributing to nearly half of all nominal natural hazard insurance losses over the period from 1970–2013 (see Figure 1). While cyclone events are relatively infrequent, the resulting losses are excessive and the risk associated with insuring properties in cyclonic regions of Australia (e.g. Queensland) has led to affordability issues. -
Pacific Study (Focusing on Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu
1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 Hazard exposure 1.1. Pacific island countries (PICs) are vulnerable to a broad range of natural disasters stemming from hydro-meteorological (such as cyclones, droughts, landslide and floods) and geo-physical hazards (volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis). In any given year, it is likely that Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu are either hit by, or recovering from, a major natural disaster. 1.2. The impact of natural disasters is estimated by the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Assessment and Financing Initiative as equivalent to an annualized loss of 6.6% of GDP in Vanuatu, and 4.3% in Tonga. For Fiji, the average asset losses due to tropical cyclones and floods are estimated at more than 5%. 1.3. In 2014, Tropical Cyclone (TC) Ian caused damage equivalent to 11% to Tonga's GDP. It was followed in 2018 by damage close to 38% of GDP from TC Gita. In 2015, category five TC Pam displaced 25% of Vanuatu's population and provoked damage estimated at 64% of GDP. In Fiji, Tropical Cyclone Winston affected 62% of the population and wrought damage amounting to 31% of GDP, only some three and a half years after the passage of Tropical Cyclone Evan. 1.4. Vanuatu and Tonga rank number one and two in global indices of natural disaster risk. Seismic hazard is an ever-present danger for both, together with secondary risks arising from tsunamis and landslides. Some 240 earthquakes, ranging in magnitude between 3.3 and 7.1 on the Richter Scale, struck Vanuatu and its surrounding region in the first ten months of 2018. -
ADRA Samoa Photo Courtesy of Su’A Julia Wallork
Volunteers for ADRA Samoa Photo courtesy of Su’a Julia Wallork. ADRA Samoa SU’A JULIA WALLWORK Su’a Julia Wallwork is the country director for ADRA Samoa. She is a member of the Executive Committee of the South Pacific Division of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, since 2015. Wallwork grew up in the Seventh Day Adventist Church, but in her adult life, strayed for 35 years. Her parents never stopped praying for her, and she believes God answered their prayers, and that is why she is blessed to be where she is today – in the Master’s Service. The Adventist Development and relief Agency (ADRA) Samoa, located in Apia, the capital of Samoa,1 has its office on the compound of the Seventh Day Adventist Church headquarters for Samoa and Tokelau. Samoa became an Independent nation in 1962, after being governed by Germany, Great Britain, and New Zealand. It is an archipelago consisting of the islands of Savaii, Upolu, Apolima, and Manono. The country director is Su’a Julia Wallwork, who has managed the agency since 2009. Because it is mainly project-funded, its staff will vary according to current projects. During the period 2016-2019 it had 31 staff members while at the beginning of 2020 it had 14 ADRA staff. Although the Adventist Church had engaged with local communities through various outreach programs, ADRA only began activities in Samoa after the cyclones Ofa in 1990 and Val in 1991. After ADRA provided clothing, rope, tarpaulins, and AUD$10,000 worth of food and emergency supplies, it began to become known by the public. -
Post Tropical Cyclone Ita Assessment of Intertidal Seagrass Status in Dugong and Green Turtle Feeding Grounds ‐ Jeannie River to Cape Bedford (Cape York)
Extreme Weather Incident Response Post Tropical Cyclone Ita assessment of intertidal seagrass status in dugong and green turtle feeding grounds ‐ Jeannie River to Cape Bedford (Cape York) Len McKenzie, Rob Coles, Louise Johns & Jessica Leech Report No. 14/25 May 2014 i Information should be cited as: McKenzie, LJ., Coles, R., Johns, L. and Leech, J. 2014, ‘Post Tropical Cyclone Ita assessment of intertidal seagrass status in dugong and green turtle feeding grounds ‐ Jeannie River to Cape Bedford (Cape York)’. Centre for Tropical Water & Aquatic Ecosystem Research (TropWATER) report 14/25. Cairns, James Cook University, Cairns. 20 pp. For further information contact: Len McKenzie Centre for Tropical Water & Aquatic Ecosystem Research (TropWATER) James Cook University [email protected] PO Box 6811 Cairns QLD 4870 This publication has been compiled by the Centre for Tropical Water & Aquatic Ecosystem Research (TropWATER), James Cook University. Email: [email protected] Web: www.jcu.edu.au/tropwater/ © James Cook University, 2014. Except as permitted by the Copyright Act 1968, no part of the work may in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or any other means be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or be broadcast or transmitted without the prior written permission of TropWATER. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The copyright owner shall not be liable for technical or other errors or omissions contained herein. The reader/user accepts all risks and responsibility for losses, damages, costs and other consequences resulting directly or indirectly from using this information. Acknowledgments: This project was funded by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) and the Centre for Tropical Water & Aquatic Ecosystem Research (TropWATER), James Cook University, Cairns. -
Declines of Seagrasses in a Tropical Harbour, North Queensland, Australia, Are Not the Result of a Single Event
Declines of seagrasses in a tropical harbour, North Queensland, Australia, are not the result of a single event SKYE MCKENNA*, JESSIE JARVIS, TONIA SANKEY, CARISSA REASON, ROBERT COLES and MICHAEL RASHEED Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research, James Cook University, Queensland, Australia *Corresponding author (Email, [email protected]) A recent paper inferred that all seagrass in Cairns Harbour, tropical north-eastern Australia, had undergone ‘complete and catastrophic loss’ as a result of tropical cyclone Yasi in 2011. While we agree with the concern expressed, we would like to correct the suggestion that the declines were the result of a single climatic event and that all seagrass in Cairns Harbour were lost. Recent survey data and trend analysis from an on-ground monitoring program show that seagrasses in Cairns Harbour do remain, albeit at low levels, and the decline in seagrasses occurred over several years with cyclone Yasi having little additional impact. We have conducted annual on-ground surveys of seagrass distribution and the above-ground meadow biomass in Cairns Harbour and Trinity Inlet since 2001. This has shown a declining trend in biomass since a peak in 2004 and in area since it peaked in 2007. In 2012, seagrass area and above-ground biomass were significantly below the long-term (12 year) average but seagrass was still present. Declines were associated with regional impacts on coastal seagrasses from multiple years of above-average rainfall and severe storm and cyclone activity, similar to other nearby seagrass areas, and not as a result of a single event. [McKenna S, Jarvis J, Sankey T, Reason C, Coles R and Rasheed M 2015 Declines of seagrasses in a tropical harbour, North Queensland, Australia, are not the result of a single event. -
Disaster Assistance
Q R A Monthly Report August 2014 www.qldreconstrucon.org.au Monthly Report ‐ August 2014 1 Document details: Security classificaon Public Date of review of security classificaon August 2014 Authority Queensland Reconstrucon Authority Author Chief Execuve Officer Document status Final Version 1.0 Contact for Enquiries: All enquiries regarding this document should be directed to: Queensland Reconstrucon Authority Phone the call centre ‐ 1800 110 841 Mailing Address Queensland Reconstrucon Authority PO Box 15428 City East Q 4002 Alternavely, contact the Queensland Reconstrucon Authority by emailing [email protected] Licence This material is licensed under a Creave Commons ‐ Aribuon 3.0 Australia licence. The Queensland Reconstrucon Authority requests aribuon in the following manner: © The State of Queensland (Queensland Reconstrucon Authority) 2011‐2014 Informaon security This document has been classified using the Queensland Government Informaon Security Classificaon Framework (QGISCF) as PUBLIC and will be managed according to the requirements of the QGISCF. 2 Monthly Report ‐ August 2014 www.qldreconstrucon.org.au Message from the Chief Execuve Officer Major General Richard Wilson AO Chairman Queensland Reconstrucon Authority Dear Major General Wilson It is with pleasure that I present the August 2014 Monthly Report – the 42nd report to the Board of the Queensland Reconstrucon Authority (the Authority). The Authority was established under the Queensland Reconstrucon Authority Act 2011 following the unprecedented natural disasters which struck Queensland over the summer months of 2010‐11. The Authority is charged with managing and coordinang the Government’s program of infrastructure renewal and recovery within disaster‐affected communies, with a focus on working with our State and local government partners to deliver best pracce expenditure of public reconstrucon funds. -
Repeated Cyclone Events Reveal Potential Causes of Sociality in Coral-Dwelling Gobiodon Fishes
RESEARCH ARTICLE Repeated cyclone events reveal potential causes of sociality in coral-dwelling Gobiodon fishes Martin L. Hing1*, O. Selma Klanten2, Mark Dowton3, Kylie R. Brown4, Marian Y. L. Wong1 1 Centre for Sustainable Ecosystems Solutions, School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia, 2 Fish Ecology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia, 3 Centre for Medical and Molecular Bioscience, School of Biological Sciences, University a1111111111 of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia, 4 Independent Researcher, Sanctuary Point, NSW, Australia a1111111111 a1111111111 * [email protected] a1111111111 a1111111111 Abstract Social organization is a key factor influencing a species' foraging and reproduction, which may ultimately affect their survival and ability to recover from catastrophic disturbance. OPEN ACCESS Severe weather events such as cyclones can have devastating impacts to the physical Citation: Hing ML, Klanten OS, Dowton M, Brown structure of coral reefs and on the abundance and distribution of its faunal communities. KR, Wong MYL (2018) Repeated cyclone events Despite the importance of social organization to a species' survival, relatively little is known reveal potential causes of sociality in coral-dwelling Gobiodon fishes. PLoS ONE 13(9): e0202407. about how major disturbances such as tropical cyclones may affect social structures or how https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0202407 different social strategies affect a species' ability to cope with disturbance. We sampled Editor: Heather M. Patterson, Department of group sizes and coral sizes of group-forming and pair-forming species of the Gobiid genus Agriculture and Water Resources, AUSTRALIA Gobiodon at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia, before and after two successive Received: December 15, 2017 category 4 tropical cyclones. -
Shelter and Settlements Risk Profile NATURAL DISASTERS from 1980
Shelter and Settlements Risk Profile ShelterCluster.org Coordinating Humanitarian Shelter HISTORIC EVENTS (ReliefWeb) Dec 2012 1. Tropical Cyclone Evan KEY DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS Tropical Cyclone Evan (TC Evan) − a Category 4 cyclone, wind Full Name: Republic Of The Fiji Islands speeds of 210 km/h (130 mph), impacted Northern Vanua Population: 862,333 (UN, 2012) Levu and Western Viti Levu on 17 December 2012,is Annual Growth Rate: 0.5% considered one of the worst to ever hit Fiji in recent history. Capital: Suva Approximately 60% of the total population were affected in Population In Urban Areas: 52.90% the post-disaster period. The Northern division recorded the Area: 18,376 Sq Km(7,095 Sq.mile) highest percentage of affected population (52%) as a Major Languages: English, Fijian, Hindi proportion of their total population, followed by the Western Division (38%) and the Central and Eastern divisions (23%). Major Religions: Christianity, Hinduism, Islam March 2. Fiji: Floods Life Expectancy: (UN) 67 Years (M)/72 Years (W) 2012 Monetary Unit: 1 Fijian Dollar = 100 Cents Severe flooding in the areas of Ra, Tavua, Ba, Lautoka, Nadi, Main Exports: Sugar, Clothing, Gold, Processed Nadroga, Sigatoka, and Rewa in January 2012 The Fish, Timber Government of Fiji estimated that damage from the 2012 GNI Per Capita: US $3,720 (WB) 5,390 (FS) floods was at approximately F$71 million. This suggests that Human Development Index: 0.6881 Fiji experienced damage of F$146 million in 2012 alone. Rainfall In Capital (Mm): 3040 Jan 3. Fiji: Floods Temperature In Capital City ° C: 22.2/28.7 2012 Average Family Size: 5 March 4. -
Download Issue
Australian Journal of EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT Volume 31, No. 4, October 2016 ISSN: 1324 1540 Redefining heatwave NEWS AND VIEWS RESEARCH RESEARCH REPORTS, REVIEWS UNDERSTANDING BUILDING CYCLONE AND UPDATES STRATEGIC RISK RESILIENCE PAGES 5–15 PAGE 16 PAGE 24 Australian Journal of Emergency Management Vol. 31, No. 4, October 2016 Circulation ISSN: 1324 1540 Approximate circulation (print and electronic): 5500. About the Journal Copyright The Australian Journal of Emergency Management is Articles in the Australian Journal of Emergency Management Australia’s premier journal in emergency management. are provided under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Its format and content are developed with reference Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) licence that allows reuse subject to peak emergency management organisations and only to the use being non-commercial and to the article the emergency management sectors—nationally being fully attributed (creativecommons.org/licenses/by- and internationally. The Journal focuses on both the nc/4.0). academic and practitioner reader. Its aim is to strengthen capabilities in the sector by documenting, growing and © Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience 2016. disseminating an emergency management body of knowledge. The Journal strongly supports the role of the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience (AIDR) as a national centre of excellence for knowledge and skills development in the emergency management Submissions sector. Papers are published in all areas of emergency The Australian Journal of Emergency Management management. The Journal encourages empirical reports welcomes submissions. The Contributors’ Guidelines are but may include specialised theoretical, methodological, available at ajem.infoservices.com.au/page/about. In case study and review papers and opinion pieces. -
Canenews Canenews Next Week 24 April
*Please note there will be no canenews canenews next week 24 April The peak weekly newsletter for cane farmers in the Burdekin CANEGROWERS Burdekin Ltd Newsletter Edition 2014/14 Distributed: Thursday 17 April 2014 CANEGROWERS Update from the Burdekin Burdekin Ltd Canegrowers Boardroom – Membership Fees Wilmar exiting QSL For 2014/2015 CBL Administration Fee 21 cents CBL Water Perils Crop Comp. 2 cents CGU Fire Perils Crop Comp. 1.86 cents Qld CANEGROWERS Fee 16.25 cents Sub Total 41.11 cents + GST SPECIAL 50% DISCOUNT FOR NEW Chair Phil Marano, George Christensen MP, David Lando, Sib Torrisi MEMBERS with Wilmar’s Paul Giordani & John Pratt A 50% discount on the total Membership Fee is on offer for new or re-joining members. For th the 2014/15 year, for any new member who Your board held their monthly meeting on Tuesday 15 April. joins or re-joins CANEGROWERS they will The afternoon of the meeting was set aside to receive a presentation from receive the full benefits of being a member of Wilmar in regards to their ―New marketing partnership‖. CANEGROWERS for half price. We were slightly surprised when Wilmar arrived with 9 people for the For example the 2014/15 levy is 41.11 cents presentation. John Pratt, Wilmar Executive GM, Nth Qld explained they the new member would only pay 20.56 cents wanted to have more Wilmar people involved in the process. per tonne for the 2014/15 year and this would provide full membership of Canegrowers Perhaps Wilmar was also surprised when our guest George Christensen Burdekin and CANEGROWERS Qld plus crop MP arrived to sit in on the presentation. -
J-PRISM Progress Report
Japanese Technical Cooperation Project for Promotion of Regional Initiative on Solid Waste Management in Pacific Island Countries J‐PRISM Progress Report May 2013 1 Japanese Technical Cooperation Project for Promotion of Regional Initiative on Solid Waste Management in Pacific Island Countries Table of Contents Regional Activities Update ........................................................................................................................ 3 Federated States of Micronesia* .............................................................................................................. 6 Fiji* ........................................................................................................................................................... 10 Kiribati* ................................................................................................................................................... 21 Marshall Islands* .................................................................................................................................... 25 Palau* ...................................................................................................................................................... 28 Papua New Guinea* ................................................................................................................................ 31 Samoa* .................................................................................................................................................... 34 Solomon -
The Cost of Disaster on Your Business
eepim o K pe KOST BLO DISASTA LO n bIsnIs BISNIS BLO IU P I PS O. ORG PEN Iu save tu ril kost blo disasta lo bisnis blo iu? Hemia nao .FJ/STAYO samfala tru samting wea evri bisnis onas lo Pasifik sud save. 80% lo kampanis wea no rikava from disasta insaed wan manis, bae go aot lo bisnis.2 IU SAVE TU DAT... Diswan hem estimeit kost blo SAEKLON WINSTON FIJI 2016 dameij an los blo praevet sekta lo Fiji taem Saeklon Winston 1 aot lo evri 4 bisnisis no 3 FJ 1.5 BILLION kasem olketa lo 2016. save savaev afta evri biki 1 disasta happen. (US$ 722,698,500) Onli wanfa we fo meksua Totol pesenol inkam los blo staf an emploiis afta Saeklon bisnis blo iu hem savaev from INKAM LOS FROM SAEKLON WINSTON Winston lo 2016, bikos olketa no disasta o advesiti: go waka insaed 14,450,129 deis. FJ 351.45 MILLION Diswan no onli soum impakt wea disasta garem lo wok prodaktiviti fo bisnis bat bikos olketa no (US$ 169,328,258) go baek lo waka kwuik taem fo komiuniti blo olketa.4 Totol ikonomik valiu blo ifekts wea Tropikol Saeklon Pam kosim SAEKLON PAM. VANUATU.2015 lo Vanuatu lo 2015.5 VT 48.6 BILLION Krietim wanfala bisnis plan an mekem hem waka. (US$ 449.4 MILLION) Sapos iu no garem BCP iet o no save gud abaotim, daon loudim BCP templet an krieitim wanfala fo iu seleva, iusim na Negativ grouth rate lo Vanuatu tuelfala step gaed wea save tekem iu tuelf Daonten Lo afta Tropikol Saeklon Pam hem minit nomoa fo komplitim insaed.