An Example Of Qualitative & Semi-quantitative Landslide Risk Management For An Individual Lot In The Wollongong Area

In the year 2000, the Landslide Risk Management (LRM) sub-committee of the Australia Geomechanics Society (AGS) produced a landmark paper on concepts and guidelines (AGS, 2000). This paper was a significant update of a 1985 paper which itself had introduced the concept of risk of instability of slopes.

In addition to providing a detailed introduction to LRM concepts, the paper (AGS, 2000) introduced both quantitative and qualitative risk assessment methods for the assessment of risk of instability. An example was provided for the assessment of risk for property from slope instability by qualitative means in Appendix G of the AGS paper.

This paper demonstrates an application of the methods in the AGS paper for a hypothetical site proposed for residential development in the Wollongong region. The approach adopted demonstrates how the LRM methodology (AGS, 2000) can be applied as a tool to assist the judgement of experienced geotechnical practitioners in appraising the extent of risk and the management of that risk as might be required.