The Town of Kwinana lies within the south west seismic zone. This zone produces seismic activity on a regular basis and although earthquakes and Tsunamis are rare, they do occur. The most notable earthquake in WA occurred in Meckering in 1968 and reached 6.2 on the Richter Scale.
The risk of an earthquake impacting on the Town of Kwinana is considered low, however in view of the consequences should this natural phenomena occur, the threat cannot be ignored.
Tsunamis occur as a result of earthquakes occurring in the ocean and producing huge waves that will ultimately reach the coast. The Tsunami that occurred on Boxing Day 2004, following earthquakes north of Western Australia in Indonesia, caused major damage in the Indian Ocean Region. Some hours later the effect of this Tsunami was felt in the Kwinana/ Rockingham area and after the water receded it returned to between ½ and 1 metre above the normal high water line.
The threat to Kwinana of both earthquakes and Tsunamis is minimal and there should be plenty of warning time.
Preparation Should an earthquake impact the Town of Kwinana, it's very probable that it will affect our neighbouring communities and other metropolitan areas. This being the case, the Town of Kwinana will be unable to rely on the same help from our neighbours that we would usually have in the event of a bushfire or storm. For this reason it may take longer for help to come to individuals and so having an emergency management kit is essential (see "Preparing for an Emergency").
To prepare for the possibility of an earthquake residents should:
Check that your house insurance covers earthquake damage
Repair cracks in walls or gaps in mortar
Brace free-standing bookcases and furniture
Talk to your family members to ensure that you have identified a good area to shelter and that you all know where it is.
What to do in the event of an earthquake Preliminary tremors may be the only warning of an impending earthquake, giving little time to prepare. If preliminary tremors are experienced residents are advised to:
Stay indoors where possible
Keep clear of windows, overhead fittings and chimneys
Shelter under and hold a table, door frame or similar sturdy piece of furniture
If outside, find a clear area and move away from the coast.
Warning signs of a Tsunami Shake: An on-going shaking of the ground near the coast may be evidence of a large undersea earthquake. Drop: As a tsunami approaches shorelines the sea level may, but not always, drop and recede dramatically before returning as a fast-moving wave of water. Roar: A loud roaring sound may precede the tsunami.
Tsunami emergency response Other than swimmers and fishermen at Challenger Beach, Riseley Road Beach and Kwinana Beach, tsunamis should have little effect on the general public. Even at these areas the water level should not reach the car parks. If you are at the beach and a tsunami warning is given, or there is an unusual shaking of the ground or receding of water, please move away from the coast immediately - do not go sightseeing. Council officers, the SES and FESA will close all public access to the beaches as soon as possible.
The companies in the Kwinana Industrial Area have developed plans to deal with any possible dangers of earthquakes and tsunamis.
Earthquake/Tsunami emergency contact numbers SES Public Assistance 132 500 Town of Kwinana:9439 0200 Rangers 24 hour emergency:0411 078 264 Kwinana Police Station:9411 4311 WA Police (non emergency)131 444 Bureau of Meteorology Land & Weather warning1300 659 213
Hazardous Material (HAZMAT) Incident
Wherever hazardous materials are manufactured, used, stored or transported there is a risk of a hazardous materials emergency. While there are many systems in place to prevent hazardous materials emergencies, an appropriate State Emergency Response Plan is required to ensure a rapid and effective response. The Western Australian Hazardous Materials Emergency Management Plan (abbreviated "WESTPLAN-HAZMAT") details the arrangements for hazardous materials emergencies throughout the State of Western Australia. The Hazard Management Agency for hazardous materials emergencies is the Fire & Rescue Service of Western Australia (FRS).
Kwinana Industrial Area (KIA) The Kwinana Industrial Area consists of a mature group of major industrial companies that share many common goals. Some of these goals relate to their ability to be able to operate safely and in harmony with its workers and with the community that surrounds it.
To achieve this very important goal the Kwinana Industries Council (KIC) put many initiatives in place several years ago, and these continue on today. These initiatives include;
the establishment and work of KIC's Kwinana Industries Public Safety Committee (KIPS),
the establishment of the Kwinana Industry Mutual Aid (KIMA) group who maintain and test industries emergency management strategies,
rock solid support for the preservation of the buffer reserve between industry and the community, and
scientific studies to quantify the risks emanating from industries in the unlikely event where things go wrong.
The buffer is world class in terms of its size. It provides ample distance so that if an incident within the industrial area occurs, the effects upon the community, if any, will be negligible. Complex, scientific, third party risk analysis modeling tells us that the buffer provides the required level of protection for the community.
There is a community hotline that is maintained by KIC and its members. If there is an incident that the community needs to know about, the details will be placed on the system. The hotline can be accessed by anyone by dialing 1300 304 346.
Each of the Major Hazard Facility companies is required to have a safety plan as a condition of its license. Inevitably there will be incidences that occur within an industrial site. An incident need not be an emergency, and both are managed differently. Through the work of KIPS and KOG, emergency exercises are regularly carried out between the company staff trained in incident/emergency management and the emergency response services such as FESA and the WA Police. These exercises heighten the ability of companies to react and to cooperate to minimize harm.
As mentioned earlier WESTPLAN-HAZMAT is the State plan for hazardous materials emergencies. As such, it covers emergency management arrangements that will apply to all stakeholders who may become involved with hazardous materials emergencies. The Plan includes emergencies at or involving industry sites where one or more of the following conditions apply:
Hazardous materials have spread, or have the potential to spread, beyond the boundary;
It is beyond the resources of the occupants to clean up effectively and safely;
The protective equipment is not adequate to deal with the situation;
Employees are not experienced in dealing with the situation; and
Employees or the public are or could be placed at risk.
Hazardous Material Transport
Road transport accidents or incidents, whether they occur on roads within the industrial buffer reserve, to and from the industrial area or around the town are managed initially under the State plan "WESTPLAN Traffic Crash". The Hazard Management Agency (HMA) responsible for this plan is the WA Police Service.
Rail transport accidents or incidents on the "Freight Network" within and around the town are managed initially under the State Rail Transport Emergency Arrangements. The responsible HMA for Rail Freight Network emergencies is WestNet Rail.
If a road or rail accident or incident involves hazardous materials then this will be dealt with by the responsible HMA Fire & Rescue Services under WESTPLAN-HAZMAT emergency management arrangements.
Depending upon the road or rail route, some Kwinana residents may be affected if there is an accident or incident. In this event, the normal emergency management teams (FRS, WestNet and/or WAPS) would attend and take control. They will provide the appropriate advice to potentially affected residents.
Kwinana Industries Council Emergency Hotline: 1300 304 346
Pandemics Annual human influenza epidemics occur because the influenza viruses change their antigenic structure to produce new strains that can cause infection in persons who have been previously infected or vaccinated with different strains. The influenza viruses are also capable of major changes to their antigenic structure to produce new strains that can potentially infect any person. Pandemics, or world-wide epidemics, occur when antigenic shift causes the sudden and unpredictable emergence of a new human influenza virus to which most of the population is susceptible.
Three influenza pandemics occurred during the 20th century, the "Spanish" (1918), "Asian" (1957) and "Hong Kong" (1968) pandemics. The Spanish pandemic resulted in 20-40 million or more deaths (mostly in young adults) worldwide, while the Asian and Hong Kong pandemics resulted in 1-4 million deaths (mostly in older adults) worldwide.
If a pandemic occurred in Western Australia, it would ultimately have an effect on the whole community, including Kwinana.
During a pandemic, the Federal and State Governments will take on the major emergency responsibilities with the primary role being to provide treatment, minimise transmission (by the appropriate use of quarantine and infection control measures, antivirals, and pandemic vaccine) and maintain emergency and essential community services.
Communicating information through the mass media - TV and radio - will also be a priority by the State Government. Locally, residents will be advised in every way possible, as to what they should do. In an extreme situation, residents may be required to stay in their homes and avoid public places. This would obviously have an effect on access to food and supplies, so all residents are reminded that it is vital to have an Emergency Pack kept at home.
