Published works

This extended abstract explores the use of risk modelling as a tool to support local government in New Zealand to better develop policy and procedure for natural hazard management.

New Zealand is an island nation in which events such as earthquake, volcanic activity, tsunami, flooding, storm, and landslide occur with sufficient intensity that substantial damage and loss of life results (King & Bell, 2006). Given the severity of natural hazard risks, it is an increasingly important focus for national and local governance to ensure natural hazards are understood and managed effectively. However, local government understanding and management of natural hazard risk is fraught with challenges, including uncertainty over how they should be managed (LGNZ, 2014; Saunders et al., 2015), scarce data on natural hazards (Tonkin & Taylor, 2016; MWH, 2016), and limited appreciation of natural hazard risks (LGNZ, 2014; Tonkin & Taylor, 2016).