Conference to explore how prepared we really are

Is our current state of knowledge in natural hazards adequately preparing us for extreme weather on a scale that is beyond our experience?

Delegates will explore this theme at the revised Australasian Natural Hazards Management Conference in Canberra from 17-19 June. The program explores how Australia would cope with a disaster beyond our experience were it to occur in the present day, as well as the year 2035.

Hosted by the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, this conference will be unlike any other conference. Based around a scenario of cascading natural hazards, the conference will investigate how our systems would cope today, before examining how the same series of events could play out in 2035. The scenario will analyse how a series of overlapping natural hazards pushes our systems – both natural and constructed – beyond their limits to the point of failure, where many lives and livelihoods are threatened. What would happen if a long-running heatwave and drought were to broken by a cyclone and widespread flooding along Australia’s coastal regions, and across the Tasman Sea into New Zealand?

The conference will also feature expert keynotes from Animesh Kumar - Deputy Head of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Regional Office for Asia and Pacific, Mark Crosweller – First Assistant Secretary, National Resilience Taskforce and Olympian Robert De Castella on the role of sport and community in disaster recovery. Specialist panels will dissect the scenario to assess what decisions need to be made now to prepare Australia and New Zealand, as extreme weather like this is neither unprecedented nor unlikely.

Who should attend?

The conference is for those who are called upon to deal with the impacts of natural hazards, including those from research, government (local, state and federal), fire and emergency service agencies, community and volunteer groups, health, essential services and others. If this sounds like you, your voice is needed.

Attendance will be limited to allow for plenty of discussion and debate. Participants will be required to contribute. New ways of thinking about the issues will be encouraged, and your views will count. Register today. Earlybird prices apply until 20 May 2019.

Participants include:

• ABC Emergency
• ACT Parks and Conservation Service
• AFAC
• Ambulance Victoria
• Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience
• Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO)
• Australian National University
• Australian Red Cross
• Bureau of Meteorology
• Central Queensland University
• Country Fire Service, SA
• Department of Fire and Emergency Services, WA
• Deakin University
• Geoscience Australia
• Insurance Australia Group (IAG)
• Insurance Council of Australia
• Massey University
• Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management, New Zealand
• National Resilience Taskforce, Department of Home Affairs
• Office of Environment and Heritage, NSW
• QBE Insurance
• Queensland Fire and Emergency Services
• Queensland University of Technology
• RMIT University
• United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR)
• University of Adelaide
• University of Melbourne
• University of Queensland
• University of Western Australia
• University of Wollongong
• Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS)
• Victoria University
• And more to come...
  
  

Pricing (including GST)

Registration type            Earlybird        Full

CRC Member                    $550                $660

Non-member                   $660                $770

The 12th Australasian Natural Hazards Management Conference is supported by the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience, and the Integrated Research on Disaster Risk, which is part of the International Science Council and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.