Tsunami planning and preparation in Western Australia : collaborative research partnership between / Geoscience Australia and the Fire and Emergency Services Authority (WA).

Winner: 2007 Australian Safer Communities Awards, Projects of national significance, Pre-Disaster category.

Reference document tsunami impact scenarios -- Inundation models tsunami impact scenarios.

Prior to the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004, tsunami was rarely considered within an emergency management context and there was limited understanding of the tsunami risk to the Western Australian coastline. The catastrophic nature of this disaster clearly demonstrated the threat tsunami could pose to the state. Geoscience Australia and the Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) formed a collaborative research partnership to examine the risks. Prior to this work, no tsunami impact assessments had been conducted in Australia and there are limited examples worldwide. There were two key components: the development and application of state-of-the-art science in order to model the tsunami risk, and effective communication of this science to inform and underpin emergency management plans. The work was conducted within the risk management methodology adopted by the emergency management community and has led to science underpinning emergency management plans where tsunami risk is concerned. The tsunami assessments are dependent on accurate, high resolution, offshore and onshore elevation data. All model-based risk analysis to date has concluded that significant dangerous currents and rips are generated near-shore. This has now been recognised by the local emergency management communities and incorporated in plans. Another aspect revealed by the modelling is how the local topography such as sand dunes can play an important role in protecting the communities from onshore impact. The project outcomes include: information and data to support planning to mitigate tsunami damage and impact on communities and critical infrastructure along the coastline, providing scientific input into a national approach to capacity development and tsunami awareness, and providing a scientific model for other jurisdictions to apply in order to understand their tsunami risk. As each jurisdiction embarks on similar tsunami risk assessment projects, they will benefit from the work already done through this project. The integration of science and emergency management has been pivotal to the success of this project as the scientific outputs have been tailored and targeted to address the needs of the communities at risk.