Australian Tsunami Advisory Group

The Australian Tsunami Advisory Group (ATAG) provides national leadership in the coordination of programs and projects relating to tsunami capability development, promoting research, information, knowledge management and education in Australia. ATAG is an expert advisory group for the Australia-New Zealand Emergency Management Committee (ANZEMC) and its sub-committees.

Role

ATAG supports ANZEMC and its sub-committees – the Mitigation and Risk Subcommittee and the Community Recovery Subcommittee – in the mitigation and reduction of coastal hazard risks caused by tsunami, through implementation of effective community education and emergency management responses.

ATAG also monitors similar activities related to storm surge inundation to leverage learnings relevant to tsunami risk and identify synergies between both coastal hazards.

Function

ATAG has four key functions:

Provide national leadership and coordination of activities relating to tsunami preparedness and response capability development aimed at enhancing community resilience and industry capability.

Facilitate the national exchange of best practice, information and knowledge management in relation to national and international tsunami risk and mitigation research, modelling, education and capability development, taking a whole of government approach.

Recommend to the ANZEMC strategic actions to address research, modelling, risk, education and capability development in Australia related to reducing risk of inundation from tsunamis, and facilitate the implementation of relevant ANZEMC-endorsed activities of strategic national priority.

Monitor storm surge information in relation to storm surge hazard research, warning system development, modelling, education and capability development for the purposes of identifying synergies between the tsunami and storm surge coastal hazards.

Membership

ATAG was formed in 2005 following the announcement of the Australian Tsunami Warning System. Membership has extended over time to include New Zealand, Australia’s offshore islands and territories and key national bodies with roles in community awareness, preparation and response.

Membership comprises:

a Chairperson determined by ATAG and reviewed every three years

one nominated representative from each Australian state and territory including offshore territories (Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Macquarie Island, Antarctica, Norfolk Island), and from Surf Life Saving Australia

one to two nominated representatives from each Australian Government agency including the Department of Home Affairs, Geoscience Australia and the Bureau of Meteorology

one to two nominated representatives from New Zealand.

Current member organisations

Australian Government Department of Home Affairs

Bureau of Meteorology

Geoscience Australia logo

Geoscience Australia

ACT State Emergency Service logo

ACT
State Emergency Service

Department of Fire
& Emergency Services (WA)

Emergency Management Norfolk Island logo

Emergency Management
Norfolk Island

Queensland Fire and
Emergency Services

New South Wales
State Emergency Service

Northern Territory
State Emergency Service

South Australian
State Emergency Service

Victoria
State Emergency Service

Tasmania Police

Surf Life Saving Australia logo

Surf Life
Saving Australia

Australian
Antarctic Division

Indian Oceans
Territory Administration,
Department of Infrastructure
and Regional Development

New Zealand
Ministry of Civil Defence
& Emergency Management

GNS Science

Resources

Resources developed by ATAG:

Tsunami: The Ultimate Guide

An interactive resource to increase community awareness of tsunami and the risk it poses in Australia. The Ultimate Guide was developed out of the Tsunami Community Education Strategy; both project received National Emergency Management Project (NEMP) funding.

Tsunami Planning Handbook

A national resource to enhance capacity and knowledge regarding emergency planning for tsunami in Australia, and to provide emergency managers with a guide to the key principles of tsunami preparedness.

Additional tsunami resources:

Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre

The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre (JATWC) detects, monitors, verifies and warns the Australian community of the existence of tsunamis in the Australian region, including possible threats to Australian coastal locations and offshore territories. The JATWC is operated by the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) and Geoscience Australia.

Geoscience Australia: tsunami

Tsunami information and key publications from Geoscience Australia.

Tsunami Guide for Queensland

Overview of tsunamis with a focus on Queensland.

Tsunami Evacuation Areas for Queensland

Statewide evacuation mapping to support community warnings and risk-informed planning

NSW Tsunami Evacuation Map

Highlights evacuation areas in the event of a land-threat tsunami.