ARISECaseStudiesin
DisasterRiskManagement
UNISDRPrivateSectorAllianceforDisasterResilientSocieties Page1of2
DisasterPlanningandRecoveryforTasmanianBusinesses‐DeliveryofMaterialsandTraining
AECOMwasengagedbytheTasmanianDepartmentofPremierandCabinetClimateChangeOffice(TCCO)todevelopasuite
ofonlineandprintableresourcestohelpTasmanianbusinessesacrossarangeofsectorsdeveloppracticalandimplementable
strategiestopreparetheirbusinessfordisasters.Theresources,whencombined,canformacomprehensiveemergency
managementplanforthebusiness,andcanbeusedasindividualresources,dependingonthebusiness’needs.
RISK ACTION IMPACT OUTPUT
Recentfireandfloodeventsin
Tasmaniahavehadlonglasting
andprofoundeffectsonsmall
andmediumsizedbusinesses,
whichdominatethe
Tasmanianeconomy.
Impactsonbusinesses(and
localcommunities)are
reducedthroughhelpingthem
tounderstandthehazards
theyfaceandtoundertake
businesscontinuityand
emergencymanagement
planning.
Increasedresilienceoflocal
businessesimprovestheir
abilitytobouncebackaftera
disasterevent,whichdirectly
improvescommunityrecovery
outcomes.TheInsurance
CouncilofAustraliaestimated
damageofthe2013Tasmanian
firesat
$89M,andforDunalley,east
ofHobart,morethanhalfof
thetown’sbuildingsanda
primaryschoolweredestroyed
Throughdesktopreviewand
stakeholderengagementa
suiteofresourceswas
developedforTasmanian
businesses(acrossarangeof
sectors)toprovidepractical
andimplementablestrategies
toavoidimpactsandassist
businessestorecoverfrom
disastereventsmoreswiftly.
Thefourkeyprojectstages
were:
1.
Researchandreviewof
Naturalhazardsaffecting
Tasmanianbusinessesand
currentprocedures,adviceand
guidance
2.
Draftingofresources
3.
Finalisationandpublication
ofresources;and
4.
Workshopsand
presentationofresources.
Theseresourcesempower
businessestohavestrategies
thataretailoredtotheir
businessandallowthemto
respondto‘allhazards.’
Oncebusinessesareawareof
theriskstheyfacefromnatural
hazardsandhowtheserisks
mayimpacttheircore
functions,theycantakesteps
toplanandpreparetoensure
effectiveresponseand
recovery,shouldadisaster
occur.
Theresourcesdevelopedcan
becombinedtoforma
comprehensiveemergency
managementplan,support
businesscontinuityplanning
andbeusedasindividual
resources,dependingonthe
business’needs.
Investmentinpreparationcan
reducethecostandimpactsof
adisasterevent.
ResourcesincludedaBusiness
ContinuityPlanTemplate,fact
sheetsandchecklists.
TheBusinessContinuityPlan
templateencompasses
preparation,responseand
recoveryanditsfoursections
alignwithAustralianDisaster
Resiliencekeymessaging.
Factsheets,checklistsand
contactlistsaccompanyeach
sectionasstand‐alone
documents.Twoworkshops
broughttogetherGovernment
andindustrystakeholdersto
assisttakeup.Materials
include:
Knowyourdisasterrisk
Insurance
Getreadytemplate
Hazardpreparation
checklistsforfire,flood,
storm,earthquake,
heatwave,andpandemic
Tourismspecificmaterials
Recovery
Thematerialsareliveonthe
BusinessTasmaniawebsiteat
https://www.business.
tas.gov.au/preparingfor
disasters
ARISECaseStudiesin
DisasterRiskManagement
UNISDRPrivateSectorAllianceforDisasterResilientSocieties Page2of2
Lessons
Learned
Businessneedproactiveguidanceandsupporttonavigateandcompletethetemplates;primaryproducersin
particular.Cooperationbetweengovernmentandtheprivatesectorisrequiredtosupportbusinessestouse
thematerials.Withintheprivatesector,industrygroupsandpeakbodiesarecentraltosupportresilience
planning,includingopportunitiestoworkwiththeprivatesector(e.g.insurers)topromotethematerials.
Theimportanceof‘community‐led’responseduringdisasterswascriticaltorecovery.
BUSINESSCASE REPLICATIONOPPORTUNITIES
Immediatebenefitsforsmallbusinessesthatapplythetools
areraisedawarenessofthedisasterriskstheyfaceandthe
actionstheyareabletotaketoreducetheriskstotheir
businesscontinuity.ForAECOM,thisprojectbuildsour
understandingofthechallengesfacingdifferentsectors
operatinginvariousdisasterriskandclimatehazardareas.
Webroughtourunderstandingofdisasterriskreductionto
currentemergencymanagementandbusinesscontinuity
planningtobuildawarenessandimprovelocalresponses.
Improvedpreparednessislikelytomitigateimpactsonsupply
lines,clientsandotherstakeholders,ofbenefittoboth
AECOMandlocally.ThisprojectstrengthensAECOMs
resilienceunderstandingandprojectdeliveryexperience.
Thematerialshavedirectrelevanceforbusinessinother
jurisdictions.
Furtherimprovementscouldconsidercontinualreviewand
refinementassuggestedbyusergroups.
TheBusinessResilienceWorkshopsalsoyieldedanumberof
suggestedactionsforfurtherconsideration.Theseinclude:
•Thedevelopmentofmulti‐mediatools(e.g.YouTubevideos
ofkeycommunityandindustryspokespeople
•WorkingcloselywithStateGrowthtoprovideinformation
sessionsforlocalgovernmentonthetoolsandtheirrole
withinthebroaderpictureofeconomicrecovery
•JointCouncilandindustryworkshopstoundertakeresilience
planningwithspecificindustrygroups.
•AlignmentwithagenciessuchastheTasmanianFireService.
HowdoestheprojectsupporttheimplementationoftheSendaiFrameworktargets?
1 Reducedisastermortalityby2030
X
Tasmaniaisexposedtofireandfloodeventsregularly.Therearea
largenumberofsmallanddispersedsettlementswithsmallfamily
runbusinessesandprimaryproducers.Improvingcommunity/
businessledresponsesassistsindisasterriskreductionandassiststo
buildtheresilienceoflocalcommunities.
Thisinitiativedirectlysupportsthisapproachwithimproved
preparationandplanningforadisastersituationalsoreducingthecost
ofdamageandassiststoprotectlifeandproperty.
2 Reducenumberofaffectedpeopleby2030 X
3 Reduceeconomiclossby2030 X
4
Reduceinfrastructuredamageanddisruption
ofservicesby2030
X
5
IncreasecountrieswithDRRnational/local
strategiesby2020
6
Enhanceinternationalcooperationto
developingcountries
7
Increasetheavailabilityofandaccessto
EWS*andDRinformationtopeopleby2030
X
HowdoestheprojectcontributetotheARISEThemes?
1 DisasterRiskManagementStrategies X
Properdisasterriskplanningbysmallandlargebusinessesimproves
businesscontinuity.
Aswellasbeinganeffectivestrategytoplanforandrespondtoadisaster
eventandtoreducethecostandinterruptionforbusiness,minimizing
businessdisruptioncanassistincommunityrecovery.
ThematerialspreparedbytheTasmaniangovernmentandtheactive
supportintheirapplicationwillintimeassisttoreduceharmandcosts
andbuildresilienceatacommunity,businessandindividualscale.
2 Investmentmetrics
3 BenchmarkingandStandards X
4 EducationandTraining X
5 LegalandRegulatory
6 UrbanRiskReductionandResilience X
7 Insurance X
ForMoreInformation
UNISDRARISE AECOM
UNISDR ARISETEAM
[email protected]
http://www.unisdr.org/partners/
private‐sector
LizJohnstone
[email protected]
www.aecom.com.au