The Federal Government is working on disaster mitigation overseas and at home, Attorney-General Nicola Roxon told the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Reduction in Indonesia last week.

She says it has spent more than $200 million reducing disaster risk internationally in the past two years. Its aid program works mainly with governments in the Asia-Pacific region to integrate local risk reduction and climate change adaptation into national development plans.

“National plans must understand disaster risk, accept responsibility for reducing that risk and mandate authority and resourcing down all levels of government to communities most at risk,” Ms Roxon said.

The program includes work in Indonesia with its disaster management agency and the World Bank.

“We have developed software that brings detailed hazard mapping together with community mapping to provide simple risk modelling capabilities to local government and
communities,” Ms Roxon said. The project includes the impact of lava flows and flooding.

The Government is also involved in the East Asia Summit, to improve regional co-operation on rapid disaster response, and the APEC Emergency Preparedness Working Group.

In Australia, Ms Roxon says implementation of the National Strategy for Disaster Resilience is well under way, with the focus on better understanding and communication of risk.

The work includes statewide assessment of priority hazards, a nationally consistent risk assessment method, a national flood map program and a website with flood threat information.

Ms Roxon also discussed work to improve land-use planning, including a bid to ensure planning and building codes consider priority hazards.