Book of Abstracts 2013 - Australian and New Zealand Disaster ...

Mr Avijit Paul
Queensland University of Technology
A framework for identifying named entities from social media discussions in crisis situation
Post hoc analysis of social media activities during natural disaster events such as the 2011 Queensland floods and
Christchurch earthquakes has already been proven to provide rich insights into a range of crisis communication and
information mapping issues. Still, recognizing named entity remains in real time remains a difficult task at the height of
disaster. It is still highly problematic to differentiate between location mentions that has high degree of crisis &
relevance and that information which has a low degree of crisis& relevance. By looking at velocity in the volume of the
archived data from prior disasters, this research presents a framework that can provide further understanding in
identifying named entities from social media discussion in real time analysis of crisis situation.
Ms Kerrie Purcell
Managing Director, Lacuna Resolve Pty Ltd
A Resilient Community is an Informed Community
The start of 2013 has seen significant flooding events in Queensland and NSW, Queensland’s second major flood crisis
in two years, and destructive bushfires across three states. As the world faces increasingly volatile weather patterns,
agencies are being challenged to find improved ways to protect the community from the adverse impacts of natural
disasters. Additionally, the increasing complexity and interdependencies of social, technical, and infrastructure systems
are playing a role in increasing community vulnerability to disasters. There is an expectation by the community that
when a disaster does occur, agencies will have appropriately planned and prepared for the event, will provide effective
and timely warnings, respond appropriately and limit the ongoing impacts to the community, environment and local
economy. A well-informed community is a more resilient community. Accurate warnings to the public of who is likely to
be impacted by a particular event and what to expect are critical. Australians are among the world’s most prolific users
of the Internet. The increasing use and speed of this technology (via devices such as smart phones, tablets, and by
utilising “Cloud” computing) means Australians now expect easy access to timely accurate information in a crisis.
Geographic Information System (GIS) technology has emerged as the industry’s lifeline. By compiling, analysing and
mapping data and updates from multiple sources into one interactive, easy to use online application, the public is able
to easily access accurate and timely information from multiple technology platforms, in multiple locations. This
includes the opportunity to obtain additional information crowdsourced from GPS coded tweets, photos, videos and
SMS messages from community organisations, schools, government agencies and the public. This presentation will
provide emergency managers with an insight into how an organisation-wide approach to GIS technology can transform
the way agencies communicate with the public during a crisis situation.
Mr Bob Roberson
Disaster Volunteer Co-Ordinator, Volunteering North Queensland
Community Helping Community
Floods, Cyclones, bushfires, tornadoes have again drawn attention to the vulnerability of our Australian communities.
Most recent in our minds are the Southeast Qld and Bundaberg regional floods, and the outburst of bushfires
throughout the country. This presentation discusses the success and leanings from Community engagement during
these disasters. What is outstanding is this countries ability to rally and come together to help each other. This
presentation will look at the success of the Volunteer Disaster Recovery Coordination Program (VCRCG) facilitated by