Flood Warning and Damages in Alice Springs: Part 1 Executive Summary. Part 2 Tangible Damages Part 3 Intangible Damages & Emergency Procedures
Handmer, John; Smith, D. I.; Greenaway, Mark
E-Publications; E-Books; PublicationNT; Report ; 53/1989
1989-04-01
Made available via the Publications (Legal Deposit) Act 2004 (NT).
Date:1989-04
English
Power and Water Authority
Alice Springs
Report ; 53/1989
application/pdf.
Check within Publication or with content Publisher.
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/228902
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/673596
Technical Report WRA89053 Viewed at 03:02:00 on 18/02/2010 Page 73 of 139. :-!anccoer, 1986), and tr.er:e cs cO:1s~deracle skepticism over the e~fectiveness of broch~res :~ particula=. Nevertheless, 1~ IS worth persisting whe~e the ~ate=lal is used by ,~,fficials as 'dell as t.hose a:. ::':'5.<, and .... ljere t::e process of developlng :.he i~formation helps emergency planning. 1:1 addition to interviewees i:1 Alice Spri:1gs three specialists provided corrunen;:s on :.he b::ochure (Dennis Parker, London; Helen Ross, and S:.ephen Dovers, marketing expe::lence, CRES). T:--:ose fro:n Je:"'.nis Parker are appended as they are ~he most compre~ensive. Socoe ge:1era1 points are: - too much writ~ng, especially ce=hnical detail. period mate::ial confusing to man"," oeop1e. Retc.:rn I I I I I I I - 3D alternative app::oach 15 to ;=esenc l~fo=mation at two I levels; ma~n points as large anc 2ye-ca:c~ing, and panels of more de~ailed i~fo~macion. - it is ::ot s:..:i-cable for to:dfl ca.:-:-? P..borigines and less ~dl.!cated ::on-.?<..borigir.es. - 1"C. may be misleading as it does ~ot show ~he m2x~mum ~xten~ of river floodi~g Or "C.~e a=ea s~bject to inundation by stormwate~ drain surc~arge. Summary and recommendations The brochure is well prodGced an~ wri~ten and received wlde support as a good idea; a view t~at the project team ~ndorses strong~y. 3ut, the la~~~age used is too tec~nical an~ complicated for many in ies =arget audience. The modern consumer is generally not prepared to work hard or read much to ob"C.ain informatio~. In designing or assessiDg ~~ exercise in risk communication, such as the broch~re, specification of aims is an essential initial step_ W~~hout aims and objectives It is difficult to decide w~a~ == i~clude in the brochure a~ what level, what to emphasise etc, and there may not be cr".ite;:ia for assessing success. :or exarr.ple, is the aim to 3ssist with emergency planning, :~ provide information ~o the pc.:blic or to help the sroup ~cguably coost affected by flooding, ?bo!:"iginal '[oTNn af'.d ri-;er-bed campers? If all three are aims we would suggest :~at the first has ~et ~it~ some success, the second ra~her :ess, and the third a complete failure. When prepari:1g material fOe cc.:blic information, those responsible may find it helpfc.:l =0 specify their aims, exactly who they want to i:1fluence and how they want to influence them. The "publ':'c" co~.sists of a vast range of attitudes, education a~d intelle=tual levels, and degrees of I I I I I I I I I I I I