Land Use Planning For Disaster Resilient Communities

Australia has a history of high consequence natural hazards such as bushfires, cyclones, floods, storms and extreme heat. Land use planning that considers natural hazard risk is the single most important mitigation measure in minimising the increase in future disaster losses in areas of new development. AIDR's Land Use Planning for Disaster Resilient Communities Handbook focuses on land use planning for new development and its role in supporting disaster resilient communities. The new handbook presents the national principles and establishes community wellbeing and disaster resilience as the overarching aim of land use planning. The handbook presents a procedural framework for land use planning for disaster resilient communities, which can be applied across the decision-making process at different levels of land use planning.

The handbook incorporates contemporary understanding and information on the nature of risks and natural hazards, technology and information sharing, risk assessment techniques, risk treatments and scenario modelling. The handbook focusses on how land use planning for new developments can be undertaken collaboratively from a broad range of stakeholders including: urban and regional planners, hazard leaders, developers, communities, businesses, local government, emergency services, state and territory government agencies, and other stakeholder groups that rely on, influence and deliver elements that are essential to community wellbeing and resilience.