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Applying ISO 31000 Essay

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APPLYING THE ISO 31000 RISK ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK
TO COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT
V Rollason1, G Fisk2, P Haines1
1
BMT WBM Newcastle, NSW
2
BMT WBM Brisbane, QLD.

Abstract
The NSW Government’s Sea Level Rise Policy Statement, Coastal Planning Guideline:
Adapting to Sea Level Rise and Draft Guidelines for Preparing Coastal Zone
Management Plans have endorsed the use of a ‘risk assessment approach’ to coastal zone management. The risk assessment framework is used extensively in industry and government as it provides a process for determining sensible management outcomes even when there is considerable uncertainty or lack of data. Thus, the approach is ideal for managing the issues surrounding climate change adaptation and coastal …show more content…

Councils and the NSW Government are said to have acted in ‘good faith’ where coastal zone management plans have been prepared substantially in accordance with such coastal management principles.
The risk approach guides coastal planners (e.g. councils) to consider, analyse and prepare for impacts that may be greater than expected, or manifest earlier than expected. This includes setting trigger levels to implement strategies, developing short and long term contingencies, and using a suite of strategies that either reduce the likelihood and / or the consequence from coastal risks.
This paper demonstrates a methodology for applying the AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009
Risk Management Principles and Guidelines to coastal zone management. The various aspects of a standard risk management process and their application to the development of a coastal zone management plan are given below.

The Risk Assessment Process
Risk is defined as the ‘effect of uncertainty on objectives’ (AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009).
The objectives can be financial, health and safety, environmental and so on. The risk management process involves the following steps, as given in ISO 31000:2009:
 setting objectives and establishing the context of the risk assessment;
 identifying the risks;
 analysing the risks to determine the level of risk, which is defined as the combination of the consequences and likelihood of the risk;
 evaluating the risk, to decide if a risk is acceptable, tolerable or

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