General Public Quiz

Introduction

This module is directed towards members of the general public of Australia, with particular relevance to those interested in the potential impact of landslide events upon themselves, or upon their property.

This module is particularly to provide a broad introduction to the philosophy and concepts embedded within the broad topic of risk management as it applies to landslides within Australia.

This module is applicable to you if you:

Are involved with a building development within a local government area that is prone to landslide events (of one form or another) and are required to have a landslide risk assessment conducted prior to gaining building approval; or
Are adjacent to (beside, above or below) a proposed development which requires a landslide risk assessment prior to its approval, and you are therefore an interested party; or
You are aware of landslide hazards within public property; or
You are interested in the topic in general terms;

The format of this module is a series of questions to step you through the concepts involved in Landslide Risk management (LRM) and to familiarise you with the terminology and jargon that you may encounter.

Instructions

Multiple choice answers are provided. If you are not sure which answer may be correct, then click HINT next and further information will be provided to assist you. You can test your understanding by selecting an answer to see if you are correct or learn why your choice was not. If you chose the correct answer, you can either read the detailed answer or skip to the next question. Each detailed answer provides further links to more resources, such as video explanations, presentations or PDF extracts from guidelines that have been developed by the Australian Geomechanics Society. Further topics are discussed by FAQ pages which pose a series of questions and then give further explanations.

AGS 2007 LRM Guidelines Australian Geoguide

At any time during this module, feel free to launch the guideline PDF’s to research your answers, or simply to give yourself a refresher on Landslide Risk Management.

LRM Guidelines

Question 8 of 10

8. Why do I need a Landslide Risk Assessment and Landslide Risk Management prepared for me?

I don’t, I feel that I can do it myself.
My neighbour in the next suburb had an assessment prepared for that property and proposed development, so I can use the results from that.
I should engage a professional geotechnical practitioner familiar with the slope-forming processes of the local area.

Would you let any Tom, Dick or Harry service your car or your gas heater?

8. Why do I need a Landslide Risk Assessment and Landslide Risk Management prepared for me?

A Landslide Risk Assessment and Landslide Risk Management should be prepared for you with your best interests in mind by an independent arbiter, an “honest broker” if you will. It is important that you understand the landslide issues that are present and the means at your disposal to manage the risks associated with them. It is totally appropriate to say that “forewarned is forearmed”.

It will be unusual circumstances that an owner/occupier can produce a meaningful Landslide Risk Assessment, and certainly could face conflict of interest issues.

Use of an assessment on another property is unacceptable on many levels.

It is important that competent professionals be employed to conduct the assessment and these should be experienced practitioners familiar with the slope-forming processes in your region and the broader area.

Such persons would also have professional obligations to be independent. They should also conduct your assessment without conflict of interest – which you certainly would have.

It is noted again that whilst such geotechnical practitioners can make the assessments, the determining authority must be the regulator.