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Bushfire Risk Resource

KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE

To build a competitive tourism destination or business it is essential to plan for crises. The Tourism Industry Council and the International Centre for Responsible Tourism – Australia have created this Knowledge Exchange to assist you to prevent, prepare, respond to and recover from natural disasters, extreme weather events and their consequences like bushfires.

We welcome submissions of case studies, academic papers and research which can be added to this Knowledge Exchange and provide responsible advice to help protect the tourism businesses and their staff, visitors and Australia’s heritage.

Background Information and Research

Risk management consists of four phases, namely prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. The following publications give you background information about risk management in general and also research which has been conducted on that topic. The latter will specifically be helpful for tourism professionals and planners.

Read Background Research and Advisory Resources

Prevention

The first step in risk management is about identifying hazards, risks and mitigating the dangers. It is focused on legislation, building codes and land use. This step helps you to be aware of risks and at the same time reducing them to a minimum.

Read Prevention Resources

 

Preparedness

The second phase of risk management is about preparing for a crisis. Generally, this includes developing a preparedness plan and training. Preparing for a crisis can ease your mind; because once you are prepared you know exactly what to do if a crisis happens. It does not mean you will not be scared and that it will stop feeling of anxiety if a crisis happens, but it will help you not to panic and put you at ease with the threat.

Read Preparedness Resources

 

Response

When it comes to responding to a crisis, ideally the first two steps will have helped to keep the damage as low as possible. Typically the response is led by emergency services. By that phase every owner or manager should know what to do. A clear structure and set responsibilities are essential to successful operations. A crisis communication plan will help to reduce anxiety and panic.

Read Response Resources

 

Recovery

Recovering from a crisis is aimed to return the destination back to its original state.  You might be eligible for funding if your business has suffered from a crisis. This last phase of risk management will always include marketing campaigns and combined community effort to rebuild. Equally important will be to acknowledge psychological problems you might have. Depression, traumatic stress disorders and other mental health disorders are common after dramatic experiences such as surviving a bushfire and therefore you should not be afraid to ask for professional help.

Read Recovery Resources

Research & Advisory Resources

1 National Strategy for Disaster Resilience The National Strategy of Disaster Resilience explains the concept of resilient communities and shared responsibility. This report is essential for every destination management planner. 2 Victorian Bushfire Recommendations The 2009 Victorian Bushfire Royal Commission wrote a report including 67 recommendations which is valuable advice, learned from experience. 3 Royal Commission Recommendations In …

Prevention

For Destination Management Planners 7 Encouraging bushfire preparedness The ICRT Australia produced this report to illustrate a wider viewpoint for destination management planners on how to encourage the tourism industry to implement bushfire risk management. The recommendations are helpful for anyone who seeks to achieve this goal. 8 Evacuation Planning This guide written by the RFS can …

Preparedness

For Destination Management Planners `17 National Strategy for Disaster Resilience Community Engagement Framework As the title already says, this guide provides advice on how to engage a community in emergency management. 18 Don’t Risk It for RTO’s This guide is especially designed for Regional Tourism Organisations and will explain their role in risk management and what to …

Response

For Destination Management Planners 26 National Tourism Incident Communication Plan The National Tourism Incident Communication Plan gives an overview about what happens during a crisis and who is responsible for what. 27 Crisis Communication Handbook Tourism Victoria produced a Crisis Communication Plan for local and regional tourism organisations. Next to guidelines on communicating, this guide also includes …

Recovery

For Destination Management Planners 32 Disaster Response Plan The National Disaster Response Plan gives an overview of what happens after a crisis happened. 33 Guide for Recovery Actions The Regional Australia Institute wrote this guide on how to make communities disaster resilient and respond after a crisis occurred. 34 Guide on post disaster marketing Destination Gippsland Ltd produced …