2015-06-23 I&S Agenda - Item 5 - Local Disaster Recovery Plan - Attachment 2

                               Noosa Local Disaster Recovery Plan 2015/2016

26.2 Components of environment recovery
The ways in which damage to the natural environment impacts on community, infrastructure
and the economy are considered in other parts of this plan; this section deals with the effects
of a disaster on Noosa’s ecosystems particularly:
    the air
    the coastline
    water and rivers
    land and soil (and organic matter)
    plants and animals
The table below outlines some of the effects of impact of disasters on our natural
ecosystems.

Table 8 - Examples of impacts of disasters on the natural environment by component
(AEMI Community Recovery Handbook 2)

Component of the
                        Aspects of this component relevant
      natural                                                         Some examples of effects
                             to disaster management
    environment
Air                        particulates                            immediate: asthma cases
                           chemicals                               longer term: deposition of
                           biological aerosols                      particulates residues on assets
                           radiation                               dust from wind erosion—
                                                                     denuded landscape (fire, drought)
                                                                    heatwave deaths
                                                                    deaths from bushfire smoke
                                                                     affecting air quality
Coastline                  oil and chemical contamination          oil spill contaminating beaches
                           changes to the coastline                severe storm eroding beaches
                                                                     and sand dunes
                                                                    changes to river mouth
                                                                    debris washed onto beaches
Water and rivers:       Quality:                                 •   impact on economic production
• surface water         • biological contamination                   from loss of irrigation systems
• ground water          • particulate contamination              •   loss of capacity (drinking water
• marine                • chemical contamination                     etc)
• artificial storages   • dissolved oxygen levels/ quality in    •   severe flooding and erosion
                           waterways                             •   changes to ecosystems

                        Quantity
                        • changed river flows
                        • changed groundwater storage
                        • flow regimes
                        • biological contamination/
                           introduced pests
Land and soil:          • loss and movement - erosion            •   significant erosion after a fire or
• landscapes                 and/or deposition                       flood, earthquake or cyclone can
• rocks                 • quality and condition -                    change the course of waterways,
• soil                     contamination                             reduce the productivity of
• geo-heritage          • changes to soil—acidification,             farmland and create erosion risks
                           structure change, compaction              for infrastructure both up and
                        • damage to landforms and                    down stream
                           landscapes                            • impacts on flora and fauna.
                                                                     Including natural, cultural and
                                                                     geo-heritage sites
Plants and animals      •   loss of species and populations      Increased interaction between
                            (biodiversity), especially           wildlife and humans due to animals
                            threatened species                   being
                        •   change in abundance of species       • disorientated,
                        •   predators                            • displaced

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