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The emerging philosophy within natural hazard risk research is that disasters are the result of the interaction between a hazard and a vulnerable community. Rapid urbanisation, coupled with inappropriate planning and building practices in coastal Queensland, increases the risk of storm surge disaster. A geographic information systems (GIS) is an important tool for modelling this interaction, because natural hazards, and hence risk, have a spatial component. GISs have mostly been used at the risk treatment stage of risk management, usually as a tool to create better maps. This thesis explores the use of GIS for storm surge hazard risk management. Two case studies, Cairns and Mackay in far north Queensland, are used. The study sites have contrasting demographics and physical settings and therefore contrasting risk managment requirements. The thesis examines spatial data requirements and assesses existing software and hardware infrastructures in Queensland local governments. The aim is to develop a risk modelling methodology that can be adopted by other local governments with a storm surge risk