The Wheatbelt region in WA and Gippsland in Victoria are the areas most vulnerable to earthquakes, according to the latest National Seismic Hazard Assessment.

Canberra ranks as the most exposed capital city because of its proximity to the Lake George and Murrumbidgee faults.

Geoscience Australia says updates to the hazard assessment, the first since 2012, will help with mitigation and disaster planning.

“Science and technology is constantly evolving and improving, and the [assessment] is updated regularly to ensure it incorporates best practice and evidence-based science,” Senior Seismologist Trevor Allen said.

“In regions such as the Wheatbelt and Gippsland, with higher seismic hazard, it is an essential tool for developing mitigation strategies that make at-risk communities more resilient.”

A magnitude-five quake every 10-25 years is likely for Wheatbelt residents.

The southwest region is historically prone to strong seismic activity, including the magnitude-6.5 quake in 1968 near Meckering.

In Gippsland a similar-magnitude quake is expected every 25-50 years.

The Latrobe Valley and Strzelecki Ranges have some of the country’s most active faults with the “potential to host a very large earthquake”.

The region was most recently hit by a magnitude-5.4 quake near the Latrobe Valley town of Moe in June 2012, followed by more than 200 aftershocks.

About 100 quakes of magnitude three or higher are detected across Australia every year.

“It’s impossible to accurately predict exactly when and where an earthquake will occur, but the history of… activity in a region can tell us a lot about its potential risk,” Dr Allen said.