New Australian cyclone disaster management plan

A new manual for mitigating the adverse impacts of tropical cyclones is to be developed to help Australian local communities plan their response to such disasters. Minister for Public Works, Housing and Information and Communication Technology Robert Schwarten said that work had already begun with the Cairns City Council to develop and trial the planning process.

“Working with local councils, we are planning strategies for better management of resources and that will help communities prepare for a disaster such as a tropical cyclone,” Mr Schwarten said.

“The project with Cairns City Council will provide a template for other local councils to use to reduce the impact of cyclones on their communities.

“The guidelines in this [new] manual will form the basis on which a vital infrastructure of public cyclone shelters is developed,” he said.

“The manual will help identify just how vulnerable a community is during a cyclone.

“The guidelines will take into consideration the possibility of flooding, storm tides, land slip or structure failure and will include evacuation routes,” Mr Schwarten said.

•Date: 7th Dec 2006• Region: Australia •Type: Article •Topic: DR general
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