www.terramatrix.com.au

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

www.terramatrix.com.au

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

www.terramatrix.com.au

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!