Wildfire-Workshop-Presentation-Richard-Thornton

1. Wildfire in Australia
OECD-Placard Workshop
16 January 2020
Dr Richard Thornton
Chief Executive Officer

2. Our story
• Began 2003- 15+ years'
experience
• Built on the Bushfire CRC
• Catalyst - natural hazards events
• A broad scope
• 2013: Funded from
Commonwealth CRC Program
and all States and Territories.
• 8-year term – ends 30 June 2021
• An independent not-for-profit
research organisation Wallabi Point NSW. Photo by Adam Stevenson.

3. Our partners

4. Our successes
• A fire spread models used
by all fire services in
operations – responsible for
saving at least one major
town
• Better understanding of fire
and hazard reduction
• Better community
messaging and warning
products used nationally
• Better understanding of
mental and physical health
issues in emergency services
• Better mitigation
approaches to hazards

5. Bushfire in Australia

6. Australian Fire - 13 years of bushfire outlooks

7. 2019-2020
fires
With permission Dr. Grant Williamson,
University of Tasmania

8. 2019-2020

10. December
2019 FFDI

11. Fire season is starting earlier in most areas and ending later
Earliest day with south-coastal NSW daily FFDI
> 25
Earliest day with northeast Vic daily FFDI > 25 Earliest day with southeast Vic daily FFDI > 25
latest day with
northeast Vic
daily FFDI > 25

13. Spring 2019: FFDI averages
Australia, Queensland, Northern Territory, WA, Tasmania, and NSW all saw a
record. SA second highest

14. © BUSHFIRE AND NATURAL HAZARDS CRC 2019
Based on current
trends, Australia's
population is
projected to reach
30 million people
between 2029
and 2033
Potentially,
double by 2070
Australia’s
population is
growing
Source: ABS 2018

15. © BUSHFIRE AND NATURAL HAZARDS CRC 2019
Research Priorities
The Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster
Resilience and Safer Communities noted there was:
“… relatively little research on the effect of mitigation
and the social and psychological impacts of disasters
relative to other areas. (2014)
http://www.bnhcrc.com.au/nationalpriorities

16. © BUSHFIRE AND NATURAL HAZARDS CRC 2019
Major issues
• 17 National workshops
• Co-hosted by a peak-body,
AFAC Group or ANZEMC
Committee
• Across four pillars
• Each workshop determined
highest priority issues
• Key common areas identified

17. © BUSHFIRE AND NATURAL HAZARDS CRC 2019
Four common
themes
Shared
responsibility
and community
engagement
Communicating
risk and
understanding the
benefits of
mitigation
Impacts of climate
change
Predictive
services, data and
warnings

18. © BUSHFIRE AND NATURAL HAZARDS CRC 2019
Communicating risk and
managing expectations
Understanding the economics
Meeting demands and
expectations
Explaining uncertainty
Research Priorities -
Bushfire
http://www.bnhcrc.com.au/nationalpriorities/bushfire

19. © BUSHFIRE AND NATURAL HAZARDS CRC 2019
Post 2021?
Building a disaster resilient Australia on a solid
foundation of expertise, evidence and networks.
A dedicated national disaster risk and resilience
research institute, accessible to all, significantly
reducing the impact of hazards and disasters in
Australia
BNHCRC.COM.AU – Newsletter, Hazard Notes and reports etc.
Richard.Thornton@bnhcrc.com.au
Twitter: ceo_bnhcrc or BNHCRC