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

                           Noosa Local Disaster Recovery Plan 2015/2016

26.8 Identify environmental risks
Identify the risks (threats and opportunities) that result from the disaster and impact on the
natural environment and ecosystem services. Questions that might need to be considered
include:
•   is there an impediment to the environment recovering on its own (for example,
    contaminated soils or bare soils at risk of weed invasion might prevent regeneration of
    indigenous species, which can result in reduced agricultural productivity)?
•   is a priority environmental function (or an ecosystem service) now absent and unable to
    recover quickly, such that you need to steer or hasten the recovery process (for
    example, contaminated and reduced water supplies after a fire because the damage to
    the catchment has reduced the capacity of the landscape to filter the drinking water)?
•   is there an opportunity to improve the natural environment where the previous status
    was degraded?

26.9 Analyse environmental risks
Analyse the extent of the risks to the natural environment (the likelihood and the
consequence of risks) so that a level of risk can be estimated:
•   how big are the risks?
•   are the risks tolerable?

26.10 Evaluate environmental risks
Making decisions about the ability of the natural environment to cope depends on pre-
established assessment or evaluation criteria and objectives. Evaluate the risks in order to
prioritise treatment options:
•   what risk treatments are required?
•   should the management of these risks be prioritised?

26.11 Treat environmental risks
Treatment options include actions to:
•   monitor and observe
•   prevent or avoid environmental harm
•   reduce or minimise environmental harm
•   mitigate the effects on the environment and community
•   offset the damage
Options and strategies for treating risk can be assessed in terms of:
•   potential benefits
•   effectiveness in reducing losses
•   cost to implement the option(s)
•   impact of the control measures on other stakeholder objectives, including the
    introduction of new risks or issues
Often decisions are made in light of comparison of the cost (dollar and environmental) and
economic impacts.
Some activities will have benefits for many natural environment components. For example,
fencing to exclude livestock from key areas can:
•   improve native vegetation recovery (by reducing grazing impacts)
•   improve water catchment qualities (through less faecal material in waterways)
•   reduce risk of soil erosion (more vegetation cover equals less sediment run-off)
•   in the longer term, impact on maintenance of water quality

26.12 Monitor and review
Rapidly changing circumstances post-disaster require ongoing investigation, monitoring and
evaluation. In light of this, the risk management process should be reviewed regularly to
ensure the risk treatment plans/recovery plans remain the best option.

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