Local Risk Register

Local Risk Register Shire of Augusta Margaret River Local Emergency Management Committee November 2018 Shire of Augusta Margaret River Risk Summary Report 3 Local Risk Register Local Government name: Shire of Augusta Margaret River Hazard(s) assessed: Date of risk assessment workshop(s): Fire 13/02/2018 Flood 29/08/2017 Storm 29/08/2017 Electricity supply disruption 3/10/2017 Human epidemic 3/10/2017 Risk assessment workshop coordinator: Chris Lloyd, Vikram Cheema Risk assessment workshop facilitator: Vikram Cheema Other persons who aided in workshop development (including scenario development): Name: Task/responsibility: Nathan Hall Bushfire Scenario Katie Taylor Bushfire Risk Workshop Planning Lisa Garstone Administration Tailored Risk Criteria elements used in the risk assessment workshops: Population: 14,114 Gross Area Product: $848,000,000.00 Shire of Augusta Margaret River Risk Summary Report 4 Executive Summary This report provides a summary of the State Risk Project’s Risk Workshops that were undertaken by the Shire of Augusta Margaret River over 2017 and 2018. The Shire’s top five hazards were determined by the Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC) as being Fire, Flood, Storm, Electricity Power Disruption and Human Epidemic. This process has been undertaken in accordance with State Emergency Management Policy Statement 3.2.6, and with reference to the Western Australian Emergency Risk Management Guide 2015. Emergency Risk Management (ERM) plans are to be developed, led and administered by local government (LG) and LEMC (State EM Prevention Procedure 1 – Emergency Risk Management Planning). The results of the risk workshops and subsequent risk assessments are detailed in this document. The risk priorities have been identified in order to better inform the LEMC for decision making in emergency risk management as per (AS/NZS 31000:2009) Risk Management Principles and Guidelines. The report finds that Fire is the Shire’s biggest hazard with over 50% of risk statements being rated at ‘High’ or ‘Extreme’ levels of risk. Over the five hazards a total of 184 risk statements were completed; 103 do not require immediate action, 48 require consideration and 33 require action/treatment. Storm hazard was second to fire with regard to frequency of event and potential for impact on the community. The Risk Assessments used in regards to these hazards is limited by the Shire knowledge and opinion of the Community in which the assessments were held. This can result in data that can be abnormally skewed either high or low on the As Low as Reasonably Practicable (ALARP) scale, it should be noted however that field experts were used where possible during this process. Funding may be made available from State Government to address these risks however, local government, through the LEMC should determine appropriate treatment options and implement necessary control measures where possible. Shire of Augusta Margaret River Risk Summary Report 5 Fire Scenario Summary It has been a hot summer period during 2019 following the end of a strong El Nino cycle that has resulted in increased maximum temperatures, the frequency of high fire danger ratings and the risk of a significant fire danger season that has kept fire fighters very busy with a higher than average number of responses to bushfires in the southwest. The weather forecast for Friday 1 March 2019 has identified that a deepening easterly trough southwest of Western Australia is expected to start crossing the lower south-west land division by 1200hrs triggering Total Fire Bans from Perth to Albany. As a result of this trough movement temperatures have spiked to an expected 34 degrees with the Relative Humidity dropping to 9% and winds coming from a north-westerly direction at 30 -35km/hr As predicted at 1200hrs the trough started to cross the south-west land division in a line from Lancelin to Bremer Bay bringing with it a series of fast moving thunderstorms and wind gusts up to 50km/hr. Scattered showers of less than 5mm were recorded amongst the belt of thunderstorms that passed through the region, however of most significant note was the 300+ cloud-to-ground lightning bolt lightning strikes recorded between Perth and Augusta that also resulted in power outages across the region. At 1230hrs the first 000 call is received with a report of smoke in the Bramley National Park approximately 1.5km east of the Margaret River town site with three more smoke sightings following shortly after. • 1km north-west of Old Ellen Brook Rd south of Gracetown in private property. • 2.5 Km south-west of Warner Glen in the Forest Grove National Park. • 1km north of the Augusta golf course Deepdene in the Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park. Local crews from LG, Fire and Rescue and Parks and Wildlife are dispatched to attend these four fires. At 1400hrs local fire services have been divided up to attack the fires however with inaccessible terrain, high fuel loads, limited air & regional ground support and unstable weather conditions they are not able to make significant progress on any of the fires, with the fires south of Gracetown and north of the Augusta spreading rapidly in the coastal heath vegetation. Meetings are held between Parks & Wildlife, DFES and Local Government to discuss the management of the four fires in the Shire of Augusta Margaret River but also other bushfires that have started up across the south west as a result of the recent lightning activity. Given power outages communications are difficult especially with the reduced capacity to provide timely and accurate information to the public which is causing panic and confusion across the Shire, especially with a high number of tourists in the area due to the public holiday. A spot weather forecast has identified that at approximately 1700hrs a south west wind change is forecast with the easterly movement of the trough. Winds will then move to the south-east during the late evening as the trough breaks down and begins to reform to the west of the state bringing more north west winds and an increasingly unstable atmosphere. Rough details on the fire development at 1400hrs for the four fires have been provided by air attack which shows; • Fire one (Bramley National Park) 67 Ha – possible impact on water treatment plant at 10 Mile Brook Dam. • Fire two (South of Gracetown) 232 Ha – jumped Caves Rd, impacting on Sunflowers Animal Farm & unknown damage to residential properties in Ellen Brook Estate. • Fire three (Warner Glen) 114 Ha – will shortly impact on farming properties. • Fire four (Augusta) 222 Ha – impacting on the Calkarri Estate and heavily impacted on the Augusta golf course. At 1630hrs the predicted south-west wind change arrives turning the western flanks of all four fires into head fires and dramatically increasing the size and intensity of the fires. The fires have been grouped together and identified as a level 3 Incident known as the Augusta Margaret River Complex under the control of DFES. Information from the DFES Regional Duty Coordinator confirms that two level 2 fires are burning in both the Westralia Conservation Park impacting on the Collie town site and the Jarrahdale state forest east of Keysbrook with a number of level one fires scattered across the South West and into the Great Southern Regions as a result of the easterly movement of the storm belts. This has significantly reduced firefighting capacity across the state. Reports from the fire grounds now identifies that, 6 • Fire one (Bramley National Park) 200 Ha – This fire has continued to burn through the Bramley National Park generally unabated due to low resourcing available to attack the fire. The fire has impacted the water treatment plant creating a Hazmat exclusion zone due to chlorine and other chemicals located on the site. The 10 Mile Brook Dam will slow some of the north-east spread of the fire which will start to impact on farming properties. The main concern with this fire is the south-east wind change in the early hours of the following morning will push the fire back towards the south-eastern parts of the Margaret River town site. This fire has great potential to increase over the next 24-48hrs. • Fire two (South of Gracetown) 844 Ha – This bushfire has continued to spread quickly and has burnt through rural residential properties south of Burnside jumping the Margaret River and is likely to reach Wallcliffe Rd and the numerous residential properties north of Wallcliffe Rd before the fire heads in a north- easterly direction through the north-western section of Margaret River, where it will effectively cut Margaret River off from the Bussell Hwy as the fire burns through long unburnt fuels in State Forest and private property. Reports advise that there are damaged or destroyed properties in the Ellen Brook Estate with more houses being impacted south of the Margaret River. Tourists who were at the Sunflowers Animal Farm have been rushed to the Margaret River hospital with a range of serious burns and two burnt out vehicles have been found destroyed the side of Caves road with no passengers found in the vehicles. Water pressure has been obstructed due to the demand from fire appliances and the impact on the water treatment plant making it extremely difficult for fire fighters. • Fire three (Warner Glen) 395 Ha – This fire similar to the fire in the Bramley National Park and has been burning in thick southern jarrah forest but has now broken out into farming pasture either side of the Blackwood River. The fire is now starting to rapidly escalate to the north-east and is expected to push back up into the Blackwood National Park. There are concerns for the Alexandra Bridge community for the following day with the north-west winds expected to push the fire back in a south-east direction towards Alexandra Bridge.

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