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BlackSaturdayRoyalCommissionThefirstroundofpublichearingsfortheRoyalCommissionintotheVictorianbushfiresconcludedonthe7thJuly.Overthe35daysofhearings,atotalof87witnesseshavebeencalled,including29residentsandsurvivors.Interimfindingsaredueonthe17thAugust.Checkoutthewebsiteforupdates,submissionsandtranscripts.www.royalcommission.vic.gov.auBushfireCleanupTheofficialbushfirecleanuphasessentiallyended.About3000propertieshavebeenclearedbythegovernmentcontractedGrocon.RecoveryandReconstructionTheBushfireRecoveryandReconstructionAuthorityreleaseda‘100DayReport’outliningtheirachievementssofar.Thereportisontheirwebsite(goodluckfindingit).Therearealsolinkstowhatishappeningineachaffectedcommunity,grantandresourceinformationandvariousotherbitsandpieces.www.wewillrebuild.vic.gov.auFireDesignsTheVictoriangovernmenthaslaunchedanonlinecatalogueofhouseblueprintsthatpromotesarchitects’pro‐bonoeffortstobushfirevictims.Thecataloguefeatures
nineteenarchitect‐designedmodelsthatcomplywithnewbushfirebuildingcodesandembodysustainableprinciples.Viewthematwww.wewillrebuild.vic.gov.auOnlookingatthem,onewondersiflivinginahousecalled‘Hayball’isagoodideainafirepronearea.The2009StateofDesignFestivalisonatFederationSquare15‐25July.Ofinteresttousbushfiretypesisafreeevent,‘DesignforFire’onFriday24thJuly,9.30‐11.30am,BMWEdgeFederationSquare.Thereisapublicforumandacompetitionforbuildinginbushfireproneareas.Thewebsiteishopelesstonavigate,butgiveitagoanyway.www.stateofdesign.com.auTheCarbonCountingGame
Australiahasrequestedthatcarbonemissionsfromnaturaldisasters,suchasbushfires,notbecountedinthecountriesoveralltallyforcarbonaccounting.The2003firesinVictoria,NSWandACTproduced
approximately200megatonsofCO2.Althoughthissoundsreasonable,itwouldmeanthatcarboncreditswouldstillbeclaimedeveniffiresdestroylargestandsoftreesbeingusedascarbonoffsets.
May – June 2009
Disclaimer: The information in this publication have been made available for general personal use only and is provided without any express or implied warranty as to its accuracy or currency
MessageMatrix
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Where’sthecheese?OverthepastcoupleofmonthsTerramatrix(thanksJon)hasadoptedtheconceptofriskcontrolsasslicesofSwissCheese(alwaysawaytoturnaconversationtosomethingaboutfood!)withasafetymanagementsystemablockofcheese(thinkEmmentalorJalsberg)consistingofmanyriskcontrolsstackedsidebyside.The‘Swisscheesemodelofaccidentcausation’,alsoreferredtoasthe‘cumulativeacteffect’,wasfirstproposedbyBritish
psychologistJamesT.Reasonin1990.Sincethistimeithasgainedwidespreaduse,particularlyinthehealthcareandaviationsectors.Forthepurposesofbushfiremanagement,themodellikensariskcontroltoasliceofSwisscheesewitheachholerepresentingweaknesses.Theseweaknessesvaryinsizeandpositioninallslices.Anaccidentortragedyoccurswhenalltheholesineachoftheslicesmomentarilyalignallowingahazardtopassthroughalltheholesinalltheriskcontrols,resultinginimpactsupon
people.ToillustratethisIhaveprovidedalovelydiagram(thanksagainJon).Thereareanumberofscenarioswhichseemanagementsystemsfail.Theworsethedesignandimplementationofacontrolthemoreholesithas.Thefewercontrols(orslicesofcheese)thatareinplacethemore
likelyitisfortheholestolineupandapotentialhazardtopassthrough.Thegreatertherelianceonasinglecontrol,thegreaterthechanceoftragedyifthatcontrolisfoundtobeinadequate–eitherflawedindesignorimplementation.
Thus,arobustbushfiresafetymanagementsystemisconstructedofmultipleoverlappingcontrols.Whenallthesecontrolsarestackedtogether,evenimperfectcontrolsareremarkablyeffectiveanditisbettertoaddadditionalimperfectcontrolsthantotrytoperfectasinglecontrol.Evenwelldesignedandimplementedcontrolswillfailforsomepeopleinsomesituations.
BirdsAustraliaMidYearAppeal2009:LifeafterthefiresWildfiresareakeythreattomanybirdswhosesurvivaldependsonappropriatefiremanagement.SeveralofBirdsAustralia’songoingprojectsspecificallyexaminetheeffectsofbushfireonourbirdlife.BymakingadonationtoBirdsAustralia,youwillhelpthemtounderstandtheprocessesofregenerationandrecolonisation,whichwillhelpinrehabilitationeffortsafterfuturebushfires.Formoreinformationgotowww.birdsaustralia.com.au
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Andintheoffice...Busywouldbetheonlywordtodescribeus.Veryverybusy,whichisgood,verygood,isn’titeverybody!WorkstuffTheganghasbeentraipsingaboutVictoriawithsiteassessments.TheOtways,MacedonRanges,DandenongsandoverMtHothamtoOmeohaveallbeensubjectedtoTerra‐attention.Nancy,hastakentositeassessmentslikeaducktowater.SiteassessmenthighlightsincludeseveralfourwheeldrivingexperiencesandfeelingsnowfallonMtHothamonthefirstdayofthesnowseason.Otherwayswehavebeenspendingourtimeinclude:• Adoptingasmanymanagementbuzzwordsandpoliticallycorrectphrasesintoourworkplaceashumanlypossible.• Reviewing,updating,improvingandstreamliningourinternalprocesses(aspartofourcontinualimprovementprogram!).
.Weareplanningandpreparingtobeginthepreseasonrailauditfor2009/10.
Newworkincludes:• ThedevelopmentofwildfirepreventionandpreparednessplansforfiveofManninghamCityCouncil’sReservesandOpenSpaces.• UndertakingastrategicriskassessmentoftheCityOfMonashbushlandreserves.• WorkingwiththeCFAtoassesstheCommunitySafetyDirectorateMangersinachievingtheAdvancedDiplomainPublicSafety.
NewSkillsKaylacannowlookafteruswhenweareoutinthefield.CompletinganAdvancedWildernessFirstAidcoursegainingcompetenciesinprovisionoffirstaid,provisionofadvancedfirstaidresponse,respondtoemergencysituationsandfollowdefinedoccupationalhealthsafetypoliciesandprocedures.Goodwork!
TerrasocialWearealwaysasociablebunch,butIfeelweneedtoflauntthehighlight‐dinnerattheswankyCutlerandCo.Actually,reallythisisjustanexcuseforamusingphotos!Hehe.
“Itoldyouweshouldhavegoneleftatthelastintersection”
Andthesetwoarerespectedintheindustry!
Terrababes–isthatPC?
Lovethesockaction!
