Australia Weather News

Some regional communities say there is still "a long way to go" until the public understands a system designed to provide clear and consistent warnings across the country.

The Australian Warning System includes standard and consistent warnings for bushfires, floods, storms, cyclones, extreme heat and severe weather.

National Emergency Management Agency deputy coordinator general Joe Buffone said that had not always been the case.

"Previously, we had different warning systems for different hazards, and now we've gone to a three-level warning system with standard iconology," Mr Buffone said.

"So it doesn't matter whether you're travelling interstate [or] anywhere across the country, you're going to get the same symbols … with the specifics for you to take action, which I think is an important part."

What do the alerts and warnings mean?

Mr Buffone explained the three levels.

"There's no immediate danger, but please stay informed and the situation can change," he said.

"Conditions are changing and you need to take action to protect yourself and your family."

"If you delay, you will put your life at risk."

How did it come about?

It started with bushfires because there was significant work done on the Australian Fire Danger Rating System.

"Warnings really changed post Black Saturday, so the big Black Saturday fires in Victoria, and then all states and territories in the Commonwealth have invested heavily in building warning systems," Mr Buffone said.

He said more than 14,000 people were surveyed and interviewed about how they accessed and understood emergency warnings as part of its development.

How do Emergency Alerts work?

An Emergency Alert (EA) is the national warning system to send voice messages to landlines and text messages to mobile phones to warn people of an emergency.

Emergency Management Coordination Command Assistant Commissioner Chris Stream said the the Australian Warning System was not a physical system, piece of technology or a platform, but a framework designed to deliver a consistent approach to community focus warnings.

In Queensland, an EA warning message can be issued by a local council, the Queensland Fire Department, the Department of Health or other government agencies.

"The QPS (Queensland Police Service) operates the EA system and has final approval on most EAs," Assistant Commissioner said.

It uses a polygon arrangement, which is a technical term for the mapping arrangement of an area.

"Quite often, we will receive those requests for those EA alerts from a local council, and they will give us the mapping area, which that needs to be sent out through," Assistant Commissioner Stream said.

"That mapping is then worked through the local cell towers and then creates the polygon, and then the message is actually sent out to that area."

He said the messaging worked well through the recent north Queensland floods.

"So what we received through reporting and feedback is that the messaging was well received and in fact, we saw large numbers of people moving to the emergency or the evacuation centres during that period," Assistant Commissioner Stream said.

How are they alerts issued?

The State Disaster Coordination Centre sends messages to landlines and mobile phones in Queensland.

The warnings can also be dispatched through sirens, hotlines, social media, television and radio.

"So it basically, sends it out through multiple channels and that's why it's important there is not a single channel to send out the warnings," Mr Buffone said.

Your local ABC radio station will broadcast warnings, which can also be accessed through official social media channels.

Flood, severe weather and cyclone warnings are available on your local government disaster dashboard, and bushfire warnings and extreme heat are also online. 

What have the problems been?

On Queensland's Western Downs, an area prone to severe bushfires and flooding, Mayor Andrew Smith said doorknocking was still required due to black spots that prevented residents from receiving emergency communications.

"In these life-threatening emergencies, some of our rural residents rely on the courage of our emergency personnel to brave rising floodwaters or escalating walls of flame to deliver these critical warnings and evacuation information," he said.

"And in my mind that is critically, completely unacceptable."

Cr Smith said he had been advocating for his community in Canberra but improving connectivity was a "tough task".

"While there is some good talk coming out of those offices, our concerns are still unaddressed," he said.

Cr Smith said people in his community were "headed in the right direction" to understanding the system but were not convinced.

"No, I think we've got a long way to go before our communication is effective," he said.

"But we have a consistent message, and I think that is critical."

Mr Buffone said there had been significant work done to implement the national approach, which included an after-action review with the Queensland Police Service, Bureau of Meteorology and local councils following Tropical Cyclone Jasper.

It's not a scam

Queensland Police Service Darling Downs district officer Douglas MacDonald said people blocking the number that sent emergency alerts was a problem.

"It operates on sending voicemails to landlines and text messages to mobile phones, and that number that it comes from is +61 444 444 444," Superintendent MacDonald said.

"Understand that it's not a scam.

"I'm very aware that people are cautious around getting messages from numbers that they're not aware of."

He urged anyone who had the number blocked to unblock it and encouraged people to place the number in their favourites on their mobile device, so if phones were on "Do Not Disturb" the messages could come through.