Post-emergency rapid risk assessment — ASN Events
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  2. LAND MANAGEMENT
  3. Post-emergency rapid risk assessment

Post-emergency rapid risk assessment (#47)

Annelise Peyton 1 , Wayne Buckman 1 , Margaret Kitchin 2 , Simon Hemer 3
  1. Department of Environment and Primary Industries, East Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  2. Conservation Planning and Research, ACT Government, Canberra, ACT, Australia
  3. National Parks and Wildlife Services, Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia

South-east Australian public land managers are taking a new approach to post-fire risk assessment to address risks immediately following an emergency event. The approach was developed from the United States BAER (Burned Area Emergency Response) teams that were deployed to the Victorian bushfires in 2009 and introduced the concept of post-emergency rapid risk assessment.

In Victoria it is a legislated requirement for emergency and public land managers to undertake recovery. The introduction of the Bushfire Rapid Risk Assessment Teams (Bushfire RRATs) in 2010 greatly improved the transition from response to recovery.

Building on the Victorian approach, in 2011 NSW and ACT developed the Burned Area Assessment Team (BAATs).

These Victorian and NSW/ACT teams, draw together expertise in a range of scientific disciplines and conduct a rapid risk assessment immediately following an emergency event. These assessments are used to assist managers in identifying and minimising future impacts – both immediate and longer term – caused by the emergency event. The goal is to reduce further threat to life, property, infrastructure and the environment.

The rapid risk assessment process identifies risks, mitigation options, associated costs and a prioritised works programs for the public land manager to assist in developing a recovery plan. These outputs of the process, which include a written report, support the transition from emergency response to recovery.

One of the strengths of this risk process is the collaboration with key stakeholders both within and external to Government. Through early engagement with stakeholders the teams can ensure the most significant risks – for the community and to the land manager - are captured.

The Victorian Bushfire RRATs and NSW/ACT BAATs have an agreed inter-agency approach to post-emergency rapid risk assessment, which is maintained through shared training, process and methodology. Support from emergency response agencies waiver based on emergency manager’s exposure and priority to transition to recovery. This model may provide the basis for a national approach in the future.