New figures show only one in ten Australians are prepared for a natural disaster, despite knowing they'll likely be hit by one. The Australian Red Cross says a well-prepared property is more likely to withstand a natural disaster, such as a bushfire, but there's also a psychological advantage in having an established emergency plan.
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00:00 It's a lifestyle many of us dream of, surrounded by nature, with views of the mountain and
00:07 sea and only a short commute to the city.
00:11 Stuart Barry and his wife have been living in their dream home for the past 20 years,
00:16 but admit it comes with serious risks.
00:19 You get the beautiful lifestyle but particularly in a world of climate change it's also a very
00:23 scary place to live.
00:25 Conducting their own controlled backburns and removing firewood from around the home
00:30 are some of the ways the family is preparing for summer, as well as stepping up firefighting
00:36 capabilities.
00:37 We're now working on having a second firefighting tank in a different location with a second
00:43 pump so we've got a plan A, B and C basically.
00:47 Cards for entertainment.
00:49 South Hobart resident Lisa Villeneuve plans to leave earlier if a bushfire approaches.
00:55 She has a suitcase packed with essentials, but knows if plans change she can call on
01:01 her neighbours for help.
01:03 Having a really clear plan of what you're going to do takes a lot of the guesswork out.
01:07 The Australian Red Cross says a well-prepared property is more likely to survive a bushfire,
01:13 but there's also a psychological advantage to having an established emergency plan.
01:19 You don't know exactly how you're going to react.
01:21 It's a very stressful time.
01:23 A national survey found that while 66% of people anticipate an increase in severe weather-related
01:30 emergencies such as floods, bushfires or heatwaves in the coming years, only 1 in 10 were prepared.
01:38 The correlation therefore we need to build is encouraging people with that awareness
01:43 now to take the next step.
01:46 Building community connections is also important.
01:50 Of especially being able to recover after a disaster, but also preparing, knowing that
01:54 you have people that you can call on.
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