Big quake overdue in Victoria

By MARY PAPADAKIS 29dec02

"VICTORIA is in the firing line of a potentially "catastrophic" earthquake expected to hit southeast Australia.

Geological studies conducted by the University of Melbourne have revealed intense underground seismic activity in the area running from Adelaide to southeast Victoria.
Researchers are unable to predict when or where the quake will hit, but say it is inevitable.

It is feared the next "big one" could reach as high as 6.0 on the Richter scale, putting lives and infrastructure at risk.

The devastating quake that struck Newcastle 13 years ago yesterday, killing 13 people, injuring 162 and damaging 300 buildings, measured 5.6.

Professor Mike Sandiford is behind one of the two university studies that challenge Australia's image as a geologically comatose continent."

Victorians are urged to be "alert, but not alarmed" in the Government's new anti-earthquake terrorism ad campaign that begins tomorrow.

The $15 million print, radio and TV campaign warns that Victoria is not immune from earthquake terrorism and people should look out for anything superstitious suspicious.

The campaign urges Victorians to keep an eye out for:

suspicious changes in the landscape,

unusual subterranean rumblings,

any Victorian who looks other than comatose,

clandestine or unauthorised recallibrating of the Richter scale

and any research material delivered to media outlets by turban or burkha bedecked seismologists.