We have successfully obtained two competitive natural disaster risk reduction grants providing Commonwealth funding to Tasmania under the National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework. These two grants totaling $450,000 with $200,000 cash value. The funding continue the work conducted by Dr Ali Tolooiyan, Dr Ashley Dyson and Dr Gholamreza Kefayati on Tasmanian natural hazard mitigation techniques.

Tasmania is particularly susceptible to landslide and debris flowslide events due to the State’s inherent mountainous terrain and the increasing prevalence of heavy rainfall events. Debris flows travel rapidly down slope through channels, streams and rivulets, transporting and depositing significant volumes of material when gradients flatten out. This project leverages Tasmania-specific predictive models for the purpose of identify cost-saving strategies in debris flow barrier structures. These include the use of existing barriers combined with cost-effective solutions, including flow-limiting baffles. Analysis of existing low-cost I-beams will focus on identifying the optimal spacing and row offset effects to impede barrier clogging and deposition during low rivulet flow while maintaining drainage, maximising barrier protection from major debris flow events and limiting clean-up effects in all conditions.

Further information about our work on natural hazards can be found on our Natural Hazards page.