Latest news with #naturalDisasters
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Laser giving ‘superhero vision' following natural disasters
Helicopter-mounted laser scanners are going where emergency personnel cannot following natural disasters, helping to spot unstable slopes, sinkholes, structural problems and flood-prone zones before they become deadly. The technology was recently deployed by Bennett + Bennett, a surveying company with offices in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Northern Rivers, following Cyclone Alfred. The firm is one of only a handful in the Southern Hemisphere with the Ultra Rich Aerial Laser Scanning technology, which works like 'giving city planners superhero vision from above'. While the human eye sees trees, buildings and seemingly solid ground, the RIEGL VUX-160 LiDAR laser scanners fire off millions of precise laser beams to reveal what's hidden to the naked eye and the problems that traditional surveys might miss entirely. 'The technology fires two million laser pulses per second through the air and can even penetrate vegetation,' Bennett + Bennety general manager of spatial team Liam Thierens said. 'Each pulse measures distance to whatever it hits, building up a rich 3D picture of what's actually there versus what you can see from the surface. 'Traditional surveys might miss stress lines, depressions or other defects, but this technology captures it all. 'It's like having detailed blueprints of areas that have never been properly mapped before.' From 300m above, the technology can detect objects as small as a coffee cup and measure distances accurately within millimetres, turning what used to be weeks of dangerous ground work into hours of safe aerial mapping. Bennett + Bennett CEO Craig Wood said that when a natural disaster strikes, the team could map the damage in days instead of weeks, allowing for councils, first responders and recovery teams to make critical decisions faster. 'But more importantly, we're identifying risks before they become disasters,' Wood said. 'That hidden sinkhole, that unstable slope, that flood-prone area that looks perfectly safe, we find these invisible threats before they can harm anyone.' The technology is a far cry from the traditional way to survey an area on foot using wooden pegs, he said. But it is not just disaster-affected areas that are being surveyed. The technology is also being used on major projects such as Queens Wharf, the Maroochydore City Centre, Cross River Rail, Snowy Hydro 2.0 and the new Coomera Hospital. Ultra Rich Aerial Laser Scanning works by mounting sophisticated LiDAR laser equipment onto helicopters or light aircraft. The system sends millions of laser pulses per second toward the ground, with each pulse measuring the exact distance to whatever it hits, whether that's a tree canopy, building roof, or the ground beneath vegetation. The result is an incredibly detailed 3D point cloud containing billions of data points that reveal not just what's visible on the surface, but what lies beneath vegetation, structures, and other obstacles. This data is then processed into actionable intelligence for councils, developers, engineers, and emergency responders. 'Every scan helps create safer communities, smarter cities, and more resilient infrastructure,' Wood said. Cyclone Alfred menaced the Queensland coastline from February 21 to March 9, reaching category four intensity while offshore on February 27. It then travelled down the coast and crossed over Bribie Island as a category one system on March 8. 'Alfred caused significant damage to southeast Queensland and northeastern New South Wales through damaging wind gusts, heavy rainfall with subsequent flooding impacts and severe coastal erosion of beaches,' a statement from the Bureau of Meteorology said. 'Heavy rainfall was recorded for a prolonged period over northeastern NSW and southeast Queensland.'
Bloomberg
5 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Insurers Have New Opportunity in Secondary Perils, Swiss Re Says
By Being able to predict the environmental risks that follow a major natural disaster represents an untapped business opportunity for the insurance sector, according to the head of reinsurance firm Swiss Re AG's China unit. Risks associated with catastrophes such as hurricanes are well understood, 'because we have been modeling them a lot,' country president Beat Strebel said at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Tianjin.
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
Bush Summit: Anthony Albanese to headline News Corp Bush Summit 2025
Anthony Albanese will headline this year's National Bush Summit that will push governments at all levels to bolster support for regional communities after months of destructive drought and floods. The Prime Minister will join some of Australia's most powerful decision-makers for News Corp Australia's agenda-setting series, which will feature events in six states and territories in August. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley and Nationals leader David Littleproud are also set to appear at this year's national event, to be held in Ballarat in Victoria on August 29. The Bush Summit will once again shine a light on the challenges and opportunities facing regional Australians, advocating for comprehensive responses to natural disasters and solutions to the urban-rural divide that has continued to short-change country communities. 'These conversations are important for governments at all levels to understand the needs of the communities,' Mr Albanese said. 'I look forward to taking part in this year's Bush Summit, because my government knows that our regions are the backbone of our nation.' This year's Bush Summit – supported by national presenting partner Hancock Prospecting – will begin in Broome in Western Australia on August 20 and then move to Mount Gambier in South Australia, Toowoomba in Queensland and Wagga Wagga in New South Wales. After the national event in Ballarat, the series will wrap up in Darwin in the Northern Territory. Herald Sun editor Sam Weir said the Bush Summit played a crucial role in advocating for policies to ensure the growth and prosperity of regional Victoria. 'Victoria's regional communities are the heart and soul of our great state, and we need to make sure they are equipped not only to overcome natural disasters like this year's drought crisis, but to thrive into the future,' he said. 'The Herald Sun's agenda-setting Bush Summit is an important opportunity to listen to regional Victorians about the challenges they face and the solutions they want to embrace, and to advocate for them to government, business and community leaders.' 'We welcome the Prime Minister's commitment to this year's event and look forward to a candid discussion about his government's efforts to support the regions.' Mr Albanese flagged a renewed focus on supporting regions hit hard in a disastrous year of drought and floods. 'I have visited flood-affected areas in New South Wales and Queensland, where there has been a devastating impact on the cattle and dairy industry. In South Australia, I spent time with a fourth-generation farming family grappling with the reality of the drought,' he said. 'That's why we are investing in the regions,' the Prime Minister added, as he also pointed to his election commitment to develop a food security strategy in his government's second term.
CTV News
17-06-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Two tornadoes confirmed in Sask.
Regina Watch WATCH: Environment Canada confirmed tornadoes touched down near Colville and Hepburn over the weekend.
CNA
16-06-2025
- Climate
- CNA
Vietnam death toll from Typhoon Wutip rises to seven
HANOI: The death toll in Vietnam from heavy rains and flooding caused by Typhoon Wutip has risen to seven, authorities said on Monday (Jun 16). Wutip made landfall in southern China at the weekend with winds gusting up to 128kmh before downgrading to a tropical storm. Seven people have been killed, 100 houses damaged and almost 60,000ha of crops submerged in central Vietnam, according an update on Monday from the disaster and dyke management authority. Vietnam is hit by roughly a dozen tropical storms every year, but in June, they normally affect the north of the country and move southwards later in the year. Late last week, central Vietnam, including the world heritage town of Hoi An, suffered serious flooding, which caused deaths, disrupted traffic and damaged crops. Experts say human-driven climate change is causing more intense weather patterns that can make destructive floods more likely. Last year, natural disasters claimed 514 lives in Vietnam, three times more than in 2023. In September 2024, northern Vietnam was devastated by Typhoon Yagi, which killed 345 people and caused an estimated economic loss of US$3.3 billion.
