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THE tsunami circus last weekend probably pushed the disaster warning system back 10 years.
The next dangerous tsunami which hits the Gold Coast probably will be the first. More surfers are crippled or
injured by dumpers each year than tsunamis. Warnings dating back more than 50 years don't stop regular
drownings outside the flags.
Bushfires, cyclones and floods are the natural disasters which cause the worst loss of life in Australia. But
somehow, with all our technology, we cannot consistently predict where, when and with what intensity these
real disasters will occur.
Ask yourself when was the last time a cyclone alert was accurate? If anyone should be able to pick cyclone
patterns it should be Queenslanders.
Instead, we seemed to have signed up for this unlikely tsunami business.
If authorities did not panic so much, perhaps warnings would be better heeded.
Disaster warning services are starting to smell of political correctness. Have the civil disaster masterminds
heard of risk assessment? Is it all about disaster industry job creation?
While beachgoers were being herded away from Gold Coast beaches and surf on Sunday it was jogging as
usual at Bondi.
Here is the best piece of tsunami advice for the Gold Coast: grow up!
You are more likely to be injured driving to the beach to watch the tsunami circus than being swamped by a
tidal wave.
Credit: Peter Cameron
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Indexing (document details)
Subjects:
Tidal waves, Cyclones, Political correctness, Disasters
Companies:
Gold Coast (NAICS: 314129 )
Author(s):
Peter Cameron
Document types:
News
Publication title:
The Gold Coast Bulletin. Southport, Qld.: Mar 2, 2010. pg. 13
Edition:
B - Main
Source type:
Newspaper
ISSN:
13213830
ProQuest
document ID:
1973321311
Text Word Count
230
Document URL:
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