Hazard Note

Key research findings

Hazard Notes are our series of topically-focused research insights. The series gives a summary of findings or to-date progress for one of the CRC's research themes or projects.

Hazard Note 113 – Understanding what happens when bushfires merge
18 Feb 2022
Understanding what happens when bushfires merge
fire, fire impacts, fire severity
Hazard Note 112 – The benefits of strengthening buildings against earthquakes
10 Feb 2022
The benefits of strengthening buildings against earthquakes
decision making, earthquake, mitigation
14 Jan 2022
Choosing powerful words that signal risk and encourage action
communication, communities, warnings
14 Jan 2022
Creating effective Emergency Alerts
communication, communities, warnings
How to select the most suitable fuel management strategies to reduce bushfire risk
15 Dec 2021
How to select the most suitable fuel management strategies to reduce bushfire risk
decision making, multi-hazard, optimisation
Identifying future bushfire hotspots and risk mitigation opportunities: a Western Australian case study
15 Dec 2021
Identifying future bushfire hotspots and risk mitigation opportunities: a Western Australian case study
decision making, multi-hazard, optimisation
Hazard Note 107 - Urban planning in Victoria
19 Oct 2021
Opportunities for enhanced disaster risk reduction in urban planning in Victoria
mitigation, planning, risk management
Hazard Note 106 - Impact-based forecasting: a new way to predict the community impact of east coast lows
23 Sep 2021
Impact-based forecasting: a new way to predict the community impact of east coast lows
coastal, forecasting, vulnerability
Hazard Note 105 - Enhancements of the Australian Exposure Information Platform: making exposure more accessible
17 Sep 2021
Enhancements of the Australian Exposure Information Platform
exposure, infrastructure, resilience
Hazard Note 104 - Building economic capacity within emergency management: tools and training for managers and practitioners
18 Aug 2021
Building economics capacity within emergency management: tools and training for managers and practitioners
economics, multi-hazard, policy
What can we improve now to prepare for future catastrophic and cascading disasters?
12 Aug 2021
What can we improve now to prepare for future catastrophic and cascading disasters?
capability, emergency management, policy
Hazard Note 102 – Enabling emergency volunteer sustainability: resources for recruitment and retention
06 Aug 2021
Enabling emergency volunteer sustainability: resources for recruitment and retention
non-traditional recruitment, recruitment, volunteering
Hazard Note 101 - Cultural burning in southern Australia
13 Jul 2021
Cultural burning in southern Australia: collaborations based on Indigenous leadership
indigenous communities, resilience, risk management
Driving change with Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC research
30 Jun 2021
Driving change with Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC research
decision making, emergency management, land management
This research considered diversity and inclusion in the emergency management sector and assessed what is needed to support more effective practices.
24 Jun 2021
Using diversity and inclusion to strengthen capability in emergency management
capability, diversity and inclusion, organisational
This research worked with young adult volunteers to develop resources that emergency services can use to promote positive mental health and wellbeing.
16 Jun 2021
How to promote and protect the mental health of young emergency service volunteers 
mental health, resilience, volunteering
Australian Seasonal Bushfire Outlook: June-August 2021
27 May 2021
Australian Seasonal Bushfire Outlook: June – August 2021
fire impacts, fire severity, fire weather
Hazard Note 96 presents new natural hazard training units that were developed collaboratively with Indigenous communities to support and reinforce land management capabilities in northern Australia.
12 May 2021
Developing a culturally appropriate natural hazards training program for Indigenous communities 
indigenous communities, local knowledge, Northern Australia
Bushfire raging on the North Black Range, December 2019. Photo: Ned Dawson/NSW Rural Fire Service
05 May 2021
Lessons from Black Summer: how people experienced the 2019/20 NSW fire season
communication, communities, warnings
Hazard Note 94 presents research that used consultation and respect to empower Indigenous communities by enhancing capability to better understand emergency management procedures. Photo: Charles Darwin University.
21 Apr 2021
Building collaborative emergency management capacity in northern Australia
indigenous communities, Northern Australia, resilience
This research describes the Emergency Management Non-Technical Skills tool that can be used to enhance emergency management teamwork. Photo: SA Country Fire Service.
19 Apr 2021
Improving emergency management teamwork using non-technical skills
decision making, emergency management, scenario analysis
This research describes the Key Tasks Cognitive Aid, a new tool that can be used to support emergency management during a crisis. Photo: SA Country Fire Service.
19 Apr 2021
Supporting emergency management team performance during emergencies
decision making, emergency management, multi-hazard
Australian Seasonal Bushfire Outlook: March - May 2021
25 Feb 2021
Australian Seasonal Bushfire Outlook: March - May 2021
fire impacts, fire severity, fire weather
Hazard Note 90 – Learning lessons from the past with the Inquiries and Reviews Database
11 Feb 2021
Learning lessons from the past with the Inquiries and Reviews Database
decision making, multi-hazard, policy
Hazard Note 89 – How to enhance community recovery after disasters
02 Feb 2021
How to enhance community recovery after disasters
communities, recovery, resilience
provides a clear picture of vegetation and soil dryness across the Australian landscape.
22 Jan 2021
The Australian Flammability Monitoring System: providing a clear picture of landscape dryness
fire, fire impacts, remote sensing
Hazard Note 87 – The Prescribed Burning Atlas: a new system to plan effective prescribed burns
09 Dec 2020
The Prescribed Burning Atlas: a new system to plan effective prescribed burns
fire, prescribed burning, risk management
Hazard Note 86 – Improving risk mitigation through better scenario modelling (UNHaRMED)
04 Dec 2020
Improving risk mitigation through better scenario modelling: a coastal inundation case study
exposure, flood, mitigation
Australian Seasonal Bushfire Outlook: December 2020 - February 2021
26 Nov 2020
Australian Seasonal Bushfire Outlook: December 2020 – February 2021
fire impacts, fire severity, fire weather
Hazard Note 84 – Closing the gap between research and practice
05 Nov 2020
Closing the gap between research and practice
capability, decision making, emergency management
This research investigated the influence of road characteristics on a motorist's decision to enter floodwater, and the effect this has on fatalities. Photo: NSW State Emergency Service.
08 Oct 2020
How do road characteristics influence flood fatalities?
communication, decision making, flood
30 Sep 2020
Promoting fire-fitness: a proactive approach to enhancing preparedness
communities, emergency management, resilience
22 Sep 2020
Emergency warning messages: do colours and icons improve community readiness to act?
communication, communities, warnings
22 Sep 2020
Emergency warning messages: encouraging readiness to act
communication, communities, warnings
22 Sep 2020
Emergency warning messages: how do community members comprehend them?
communication, communities, warnings
04 Sep 2020
On the frontline: the roles of pharmacists in disasters
capability, multi-hazard, response
Australian Seasonal Bushfire Outlook: September - November 2020
31 Aug 2020
Australian Seasonal Bushfire Outlook: September - November 2020
fire impacts, fire severity, fire weather
This research investigated issues of recruitment, retention, diversity and wellbeing among State Emergency Service volunteers. Photo: Department of Fire and Emergency Services, Western Australia
31 Jul 2020
Autonomy, belongingness and competence: the ABCs of emergency volunteer retention
non-traditional recruitment, recruitment, volunteering
Hazard Note 75 - Australian Seasonal Bushfire Outlook: July 2020
10 Jul 2020
Australian Seasonal Bushfire Outlook: July 2020
fire impacts, fire severity, fire weather
The Australian Information Exposure Platform helps government, industry and research agencies understand what is exposed in an area, to inform better decisions before, during and after emergencies. Photo: BNHCRC
17 Jun 2020
The Australian Exposure Information Platform: uncovering national exposure
exposure, framework, resilience
This research explored the complexities of strategic decision making during the deployment of the Australian Urban Search and Rescue team to Fukushima, Japan, in 2011. Photo: Fire and Rescue NSW
22 May 2020
Creating psychologically safe teams and managing cognitive bias in strategic decision making
decision making, emergency management, scenario analysis
This research offers strategies that emergency agencies could use to minimise the negative effect of conflicting information during a natural hazard. Photos: Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC
06 Apr 2020
Addressing conflicting cues during natural hazards: lessons from emergency agencies
communication, communities, warnings
Australian Seasonal Bushfire Outlook: April 2020
03 Apr 2020
Australian Seasonal Bushfire Outlook: April 2020
fire impacts, fire severity, fire weather
Photo: Metropolitan Fire Brigade
17 Mar 2020
A step towards zero: understanding preventable residential fire fatalities
fire, risk analysis, vulnerability
Tathra during the bushfire. Photo: Caleb Keeney, Timberline Helicopters.
06 Mar 2020
Understanding bushfire risk, warnings and responses - lessons from the 2018 Reedy Swamp fire
communication, communities, warnings
Australian Seasonal Bushfire Outlook December 2019
16 Dec 2019
Australian Seasonal Bushfire Outlook: December 2019
fire impacts, fire severity, fire weather
Temporary erosion at Kingston Beach, Tasmania. Photo: Tim Ramm
06 Nov 2019
Adaption pathways to manage increasing coastal flood risk
coastal, flood, storm surge
The potential impact of 1mm or more of ash fall from a future 1707 type eruption at Mount Fuji, Japan.
25 Oct 2019
Can graph theory help prepare for lifeline failure during a disaster?
infrastructure, modelling, risk analysis
SES volunteers in WA performing a rescue. Photo: Department of Fire and Emergency Services WA.
15 Oct 2019
Motivations, experiences and emotions: being an SES volunteer
capability, communities, volunteering
Spontaneous volunteers with Lismore Helping Hands assisted in the clean up after the 2017 floods in northern NSW. Photo: Lismore Helping Hands
26 Sep 2019
Understanding models for spontaneous volunteering
non-traditional recruitment, resilience, volunteering
Vast areas of Australia, particularly the east coast, have an above normal fire potential this season.
28 Aug 2019
Australian Seasonal Bushfire Outlook: August 2019
fire impacts, fire severity, fire weather
Northern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook 2019
27 Jun 2019
Northern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook 2019
fire impacts, fire severity, fire weather
Experimental separated v-shaped fire conducted in the CSIRO Pyrotron. Photo: Andrew Sullivan, CSIRO
13 Jun 2019
Pyroconvective interactions and spot fire dynamics
fire impacts, fire severity, fire weather
Photo: Bigstock
26 Apr 2019
Making diversity and inclusion the new normal in emergency services
capability, diversity and inclusion, emergency management
Photo: CFA
04 Apr 2019
Conflicting cues with emergency warnings impacts protective action
communication, communities, warnings
CRC researchers studying a house that burnt down on Black Saturday.
07 Feb 2019
Black Saturday ten years on – what did we discover?
communities, fire, warnings
The National Fires Near Me smartphone application. Photo: NSW Rural Fire Service.
13 Dec 2018
Communicating for maximum comprehension
communication, communities, warnings
Agencies and delegates from the sector gather in Melbourne for the launch of the report. Photo: Craig Sillitoe.
29 Nov 2018
Mental health needs of first responders
mental health, resilience, risk management
29 Nov 2018
Southern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook 2018-19: November
fire impacts, fire severity, fire weather
Preparing for a flood. Photo: NSW SES
23 Nov 2018
How perceptions about community preparedness influence householders' own hazard readiness
communication, communities, preparedness
Canberra 2003 fire aftermath. Photo: Mick Stanic (CC-BY NC 2.0)
30 Oct 2018
Capturing the variability of wind for modelling the variability of bushfires
fire impacts, fire severity, modelling
This research has developed a new model for estimating flood risk. Photo: NSW State Emergency Service.
02 Oct 2018
New flood model takes rapid, regional approach
communities, flood, modelling
Southern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook 2018
06 Sep 2018
Southern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook 2018
fire impacts, fire severity, fire weather
The importance of including the whole community in training has been a key finding. Photo: Bev Sithole
30 Aug 2018
Remote Indigenous communities welcome two-way training
indigenous communities, Northern Australia, resilience
Northern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook 2018
18 Jul 2018
Northern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook 2018
fire impacts, fire severity, fire weather
Waroona bushfire 2016. Photo DFES
14 Jun 2018
Extreme fire behaviour: reconstructing the Waroona fire pyrocumulonimbus and ember storms
fire impacts, fire severity, fire weather
Sign in North Wagga, NSW. Photo: Caroline Wenger
26 Mar 2018
Flood management in a changing climate
flood, mitigation, policy
An early season prescribed burn near Darwin. Photo: Nathan Maddock, Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC
07 Mar 2018
Strengthening fire mapping for improved fire management and carbon abatement in north Australia
fire severity, land management, prescribed burning
The Sir Ivan fire. Photo: Nick Moir, Fairfax Media
12 Feb 2018
Community preparedness, warnings and responses: NSW fires 2017
communication, fire severity, warnings
Brisbane floods 2011. Photo: Angus Veitch (CC BY-NC 2.0)
11 Jan 2018
Rhetoric or reality: crisis coordination
decision making, policy, risk management
November update: Southern Australian Seasonal Bushfire Outlook 2017-18
22 Nov 2017
Southern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook 2017-18: November update
fire impacts, fire severity, fire weather
Measuring the intangible benefits of prescribed burning is assisting agencies to better measure the impacts on ecosystems and peoples lives. Photo: Veronique Florec.
09 Nov 2017
Investing in prescribed burning: how much should we spend?
economics, policy, prescribed burning
Assessing a burnt house after Black Saturday.
03 Nov 2017
Removing disaster barriers through policy reform
framework, governance, policy
Royal Park, Launceston, during the June 2016 flood. Photo Flickr upsticksngo_crew
04 Oct 2017
Costs and benefits of flood mitigation in Launceston
economics, flood, mitigation
Photo by South Australia SES
15 Sep 2017
Assessing Australia's resilience to natural hazards
communities, policy, resilience
05 Sep 2017
Southern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook 2017
fire impacts, fire severity, fire weather
Powerlines impacted by Black Saturday, Strathewen. Photo: David Bruce, Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC
30 Aug 2017
Understanding what risk is yours - and what to do about it
decision making, policy, risk management
Northern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook 2017
20 Jul 2017
Northern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook 2017
fire impacts, fire severity, fire weather
Two out of three Australian homes have a pet, but they are one of the most overlooked parts of preparing for an emergency. Photo: Jenny Bigelow.
30 Jun 2017
Community taking lead in emergency planning for their animals
animals, communication, communities
This study is investigating how organisations can improve their capacity to learn through experience. Photo: New Zealand Fire Service
28 Jun 2017
Helping agencies learn from experience
decision making, education, risk management
Incident management during the 2015 Sampson Flat fire in South Australia. Photo Mark Thomasson, CFS
23 Jun 2017
Tools to enhance emergency management team performance
decision making, emergency management, multi-hazard
KBDI and the rescaled JASMIN soil dryness for the State Mine fire in NSW, Oct 2013.
14 Jun 2017
Soil moisture prototype improves forecasts
forecasting, land management, soil moisture
Eroding section of Old Bar Beach showing exposed rock at the foot of the dune.
08 Jun 2017
New technologies to better manage coastal erosion
coastal, modelling, storm surge
This research is informing education campaigns for flood safety. Photo: South Australia State Emergency Service
25 May 2017
Planning for the future: prioritising mitigation options and improving risk reduction
decision making, economics, mitigation
The research team uses a river surveyor acoustic doppler profiler to measure the topography of the Clarence River upstream of Grafton in NSW. Photo: Stefania Grimaldi
17 May 2017
Remote sensing offers better forecasting of riverine floods
flood, hydrology, remote sensing
VGI in disaster management. Photo by Billy Haworth
11 May 2017
Digital volunteering in disaster risk reduction: an opportunity or a challenge?
communication, local knowledge, volunteering
Mud Army and SES volunteers working together at the 2011 Queensland floods. Photo: Queensland Fire and Emergency Services
18 Apr 2017
The changing landscape of emergency volunteering in Australia
non-traditional recruitment, resilience, volunteering
Kapernicks Bridge in the Lockyer Valley, Queensland, has been assessed for its vulnerability to earthquakes, as well as retrofitting options. Photo Hessam Mohsen.
30 Jan 2017
Strengthening infrastructure for natural hazard impacts
earthquake, engineering, mitigation
Researcher Graeme Riddell shows SA end-users aspects of the decision support system. Photo Tim Allan
15 Dec 2016
What can economics offer emergency services?
decision making, economics, policy
The Blue Mountains fires in 2013 have provided a wealth of research data that has helped RFS change their approach to bushfire safety. Photo by Gary P Hayes, supplied by NSW RFS.
12 Dec 2016
Fire escalation by downslope winds
fire impacts, fire severity, fire weather
30 Nov 2016
Southern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook 2016-17: November update
fire, fire severity, fire weather
Dr Marta Yebra conducting a grassland fire experiment. Photo: Carolina Luiz
28 Nov 2016
Monitoring and predicting natural hazards
forecasting, modelling, severe weather
Tostaree fire, Victoria, February 2011. Photo: Gail Wright, DELWP.
25 Oct 2016
Next generation fire modelling
fire impacts, fire severity, fire weather
Most flood fatalities occur when victims attempt to cross floodwaters. Photo CFA.
13 Oct 2016
Where, why and how are Australians dying in floods?
decision making, flood, warnings
31 Aug 2016
Southern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook 2016
fire, fire severity, fire weather
Bushfire outlook for Nth Australia 2016
06 Jul 2016
Northern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook 2016
fire impacts, fire weather, fuel reduction
Brigade personnel instruct residents how to prepare for a bushfire. Photo: Damien Ford, NSW Rural Fire Service
14 Jun 2016
What is disaster resilience and how can it be measured?
communities, indigenous communities, resilience
Road damage from storm surge, Jimmy's Beach, NSW. Photo NSW SES
09 May 2016
Oceans on the rise
coastal, cyclone, storm surge
Sampson Flat fire. Photo by Angry Planet.
06 Apr 2016
Sampson Flat community bushfire experiences
communities, fire, warnings
Bethany and Dean from ACT Parks and Conservation Service measuring coarse woody debris before the burn, in the Cotter Catchment, ACT.
02 Feb 2016
Research for better land management
fuel reduction, land management, prescribed burning
Reducing the risk through fuel reduction burning
11 Jan 2016
Raising the bar on risk reduction policy and planning
governance, planning, policy
November update to the Southern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook.
09 Nov 2015
Southern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook 2015-16: November update
fire severity, fire weather, fuel reduction
Flooding in Morayfield, Queensland, as a result of Tropical Cyclone Marcia in February 2015. Photo: Shutterstock.com
21 Oct 2015
Turning warnings into action
communication, tsunami, warnings
Bushfire outlook for southern Australia 2015-16
01 Sep 2015
Southern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook 2015-16
fire weather, fuel reduction
This research is helping emergency services prepare for future disasters.
27 Aug 2015
Learning from the past, planning for the future
modelling, multi-hazard, risk analysis
Extreme fuel after Severe Tropical Cyclone Marcia.
29 Jul 2015
Estimating fuel levels post-cyclone
cyclone, fuel reduction, risk management
Northern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook 2015
13 Jul 2015
Northern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook 2015
fire severity, fire weather, forecasting
SES volunteers performing a rescue in bushland. Photo by ACT SES.
10 Jul 2015
Ensuring volunteering is sustainable
non-traditional recruitment, resilience, volunteering
The Bangor fire in SA, 2014. Photo courtesy Tait Schmall/Newscorp
19 Mar 2015
How three South Australian communities responded to the 2014 bushfires
communication, communities, warnings
Researchers in Strathewen after Black Saturday
19 Feb 2015
Capturing community bushfire readiness: Post-bushfire interview studies 2009 - 2014
communities, risk analysis, warnings
Updated seasonal bushfire outlook November 2014
20 Nov 2014
Southern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook 2014-15: November Update
fire severity, fire weather, forecasting
Southern Australia Bushfire Outlook 2014-15
02 Sep 2014
Southern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook 2014-15
fire weather, fuel reduction
2014 North Australia Bushfire Seasonal Outlook
23 Jul 2014
Northern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook 2014
fire weather, forecasting, fuel reduction
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In the media

21 Oct
ABC Goulburn Murray
Scientists working to predict 'freak' fire weather simulate some of Australia's toughest blazes
20 Oct
Meteorological Technology International
Research sheds light on unexpected behavior of Australia’s Black Summer bushfires
20 Oct
Beef Central
Report finds weather played significant role 2019-20 fires
19 Oct
Bureau of Meteorology
Bushfire insights uncovered with new fire-atmosphere modelling
19 Oct
South Coast Register
New insights into Black Summer’s terrible fires uncovered
19 Oct
Mirage News
Bushfire insights uncovered with new fire-atmosphere modelling
11 Oct
ABC Weather
BOM severe weather outlook for 2021-22 suggests floods, cyclones on the cards
08 Oct
news.com.au
Former fire chief warns of inextinguishable firestorms as climate change poses unprecedented threat to Australia
07 Oct
University of Western Australia
Survey reveals mental health impact of Black Summer fires on emergency workers
07 Oct
Mirage News
Survey reveals mental health impact of Black Summer fires on emergency workers
06 Oct
Busselton-Dunsborough Mail
Time to prepare properties ahead of the bushfire season
27 Sep
Herald Sun
Quake would’ve killed 1400 if it hit Melbourne
27 Sep
The Age
‘We are not safe’: Warning on city buildings as more quakes predicted
27 Sep
Brisbane Times
‘We are not safe’: Warning on city buildings as more quakes predicted
24 Sep
University of Melbourne Pursuit
What Victoria's earthquake tells us about the safety of our structures

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