Landslides: Extent and economic significance in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea

This paper examines the style, extent, and major factors influencing the distribution of landslides in three countries. Most attention is focussed on the economic impacts of the landslides. In Australia, an arid continent distant from tectonic plate margins and characterised by old, hard rocks, landslides are generally small scale, relatively rare, and have only limited economic impact. In New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, located on active margins of the Indo-Australian plate and characterised by young, mobile rocks and high orographic rainfalls, landslides are frequent, sometimes large, and often produce considerable economic damage to several sectors of the economy. Loss of life and damage increase in the order Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea.