A year of highlights

The 2015-2016 Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC annual report reviews a big 12 months for the CRC, and is now ready to read at the link below. Hard copies are currently in the mail for our partners. A more formal annual report was submitted to the CRC Program at the end of October.

Over the year the ongoing development of the research agenda included extensive engagement with end-users, researchers and the broader community with a stake in natural hazards management. Under the watch of a new International Science Advisory Panel, the research program was reviewed to identify and map the progress for utilisation opportunities. A process towards refreshing the research program in 2017 was established.

Highlights include:

• Utilisation case studies on the Child-centred disaster risk reduction, Connecting communities and resilience, Disaster landscape attribution, An analysis of building losses and human fatalities from natural disasters, Practical decision tools for improved decision-making, Decision support system and Out of uniform projects
• Bushfire Information System – developed and tested for operational prediction of live fuel moisture content and fire occurrence
• Structure from Motion technique – developed and tested in a beta smartphone application to allow the rapid and quantitative characterisation of the 3D structure of fuels of fire prone environments
• Disaster resilience for schools – to provide Australian emergency management agencies with a strategic, evidence-based approach for school programs that reduce risk and increase resilience
• Bushfire education kit – ‘Guide to Working with School Communities’, a New South Wales Rural Fire Service schools kit based on research to help children understand bushfire preparation and safety
• National Fire Danger Rating – development of the science behind a new system for the National Emergency Management Projects program
• Tsunami warning – national program reviewed for the Australian Tsunami Advisory Group of the Australia and New Zealand Emergency Management Committee (ANZEMC)
• Emergency warnings – focus group research and social media analysis examining community comprehension of messages that will lead to recommendations to improve phrasing and content
• Non-traditional volunteers – identified key changes and impacts on the recruitment and use of volunteers by emergency organisations
• Multi-hazard mitigation planning – to support decision making during bushfire, flood, earthquake and heatwave, applied to a South Australian case study
• Animal emergency management – reviewed all national and state legislation, plans, policies and guidelines
• Flood fatalities – report written for the Prevention of Flood Related Deaths Working Group of ANZEMC