EDUCATION & TRAINING THE AUSTRALIAN DISASTER FORUM
The Australian Disaster Forum By Sarah Anderson "Stories capture hearts and minds, hold valuable lessons and also save lives." This message was the driving force of the inaugural Australian Disaster Forum held at Questacon in Canberra on 14 October 2013. Presented by Surf Life Saving Australia, in association with the Australian Government’s Attorney-General’s Department, the forum was produced as part of the National Tsunami Community Education Strategy under the National Strategy for Disaster Resilience. It showcased 11 disaster experts and eyewitnesses from around Australia who related their stories, lessons and ideas across several hazards, including tsunami, bushfires, severe storms and floods. Following a contemporary TED-style philosophy (Technology, Entertainment, Design ted.com)—the presentations were succinct, personal and highly visual. Speakers were encouraged to share what they had learned from their personal experiences of disasters. Emergency management professionals and students considered aspects of disaster resilience and built a better understanding of disasters through hearing about the experience of others. The keynote speaker was Anna Bligh, former Premier of Queensland, who spoke about her experience in the Queensland floods and severe storms of 2011. One thing she particularly emphasised was the importance of building resilient communities. Other speakers included representatives from government, emergency management sectors, science organisations, as well as volunteer surf lifesavers and survivors of disaster events. Presenters told inspiring stories of survival, community unity and recovery from the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2011 Japanese tsunami, and the 2013 Bundaberg floods. Interspersed among the presentations were digital stories from school children and firefighters who experienced the Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria in 2009 and the Lennox Head tornado in 2010. The stories were produced by the Attorney-General’s Department and the Australian Centre for the Moving Image as part of the Living with Disaster series to promote learning about disasters through the experience of others. More than 100 emergency management professionals and high-school students attended the forum, and the feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive. The presentations were filmed and will be available on the Australian Emergency Management Institute’s Knowledge Hub: emknowledge.gov.au.
Back row (L-R) Dr Yuelong Miao, Dan Jaksa, Alex Batty, Michael Peach, Rick Bailey, Craig Holden, Rob McNeil, Anthony Bradstreet, Sarah Anderson. Front row (L–R) Kimina Lyall, Anna Bligh, Wendy Johnston, Matilda Heselev.
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THE AUSTRALIAN DISASTER FORUM PROGRAM MUST SEE! Inner Warning Systems: Lessons from the Tsunami Kimina Lyall, writer and survivor of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami Digital Story: Into the Flames Interview with Black Saturday Firefighter Simon Roylance Bundaberg Floods: Community Partnerships Craig Holden, Regional Operations Manager, Surf Life Saving Queensland, and Wendy Johnston, volunteer lifesaver, Bundaberg Surf Life Saving Club The Best Worst Thing that Ever Happened to Me Matilda Heselev, year-9 student who witnessed the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami Digital Story: Yellow Morning Caitlin Foley, a schoolgirl, gives an account of the 2010 Lennox Head tornado The Development of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System Rick Bailey, Head of Tsunami Warning and Ocean Services, Bureau of Meteorology Ausnami: Be Prepared for the Worst Daniel Jaksa, Section Leader of the Australian Earthquake Alert and Tsunami Warning System, Geoscience Australia, and Dr Yuelong Miao, National Manager Tsunami Warning Services, Bureau of Meteorology Bushfires Are Inevitable Alex Batty, Qualified Firefighter, Victorian Country Fire Authority Australia’s Response to the Japanese Tsunami Rob McNeil, Assistant Commissioner, Fire and Rescue NSW Tsunami Recovery: Thailand Michael Peach, Disaster Management Standards Branch, Emergency Management Queensland The Resilient Community Anna Bligh, former Premier of Queensland