Published works

Purpose

This report provides a review of the initial stages of research into Community Understanding of the Tsunami Risk and Warnings Systems in Australian Communities. The need for this work derives from the fact that the Australian coastline faces some 8,000km of active tectonic plate boundary capable of generating tsunami that could reach Australia in 2-4 hours. Recognition of this risk led to the development of the Australian Tsunami Warning System (ATWS).

The exposure of coastal areas and short lead times makes it important that members of the communities exposed to tsunami threat accept their risk and act on this to increase their response capability. The latter includes knowing of the ATWS, being able to receive warnings, and being able to respond (rather than having to react) to warnings in timely and effective ways. This project is researching these aspects of community response capability.

Procedure

This project has adopted a qualitative approach (thematic analysis) to understand people’s tsunami risk and warnings beliefs. Community members living in coastal areas are currently being interviewed. The interviews are asking for people’s views on:

• Causes, location of origin of tsunamis, and tsunami travel times,
• warning times and how long people will have to respond to warnings,
• warning sources and media of dissemination, and
• what people will be warned of and the actions warnings should trigger.

Results

Initial interviews in communities in NSW, Queensland, Tasmania and WA identified diverse views on what people should be warned of, and how to warn them. Views on what people should be warned of included long term issues (e.g., problems evacuating, long term impact on infrastructure, resourcing etc.) and immediate actions (e.g., knowing one’s evacuation route). A need to adapt warnings to specific geographical localities and to enhance community readiness was identified.

Following discussions with end-user agencies, NSW SES and Surf Life Saving Australia/Australian Tsunami Advisory Group, the project has been refocused to more clearly examine how interaction between community members and end-user agencies influences tsunami risk and warning beliefs. The results of this work will be used to inform the development and implementation of a community engagement strategy that can be used by end-user agencies to develop community warning and response strategies.