Education is not easy, so you can't ALWAYS blame govt if people don't listen - People constantly facing high risk often ignore the risk - helps them sleep . see notes under What govt don't know here
but listening is more effective if people are interested -
Sometimes people up the top have lost sight of whose listening so they don't spot a faulty education campaign when they see one- A good education campaign is One that captivates interest (and is not distracted by trying to create more) A good education campaign for bushfire management should focus on people's interest in fire behaviuor -not clear that this is happening . Example " you have v high blood pressure - interest is high - you can manage it this way--- by understanding this about "the wolf" ; "
For example what % of those killed didn't even have the basic expectation that a fire would come at them first from the north and then possibly from the west.
The lack of experienced risk managers with real experience in DSE and the ongoing competetion over who knows how best to manage risk can ALSO be expected to continue to add fuel to the controversy over whether knowledge ( and its corallary) is being transferred down in ways which give ownership or take it away ?
ASh feb09 lots of Ads talked about " Your plan " many did not EXPECT the fire to come at them from the West after coming from the north - awareness is one thing ;
More on manageing the wolf here!
Knowledge of risk is another. What do you think ?
