Hazards to distributed infrastructure networks are indirect hazards to isolated settlements, and communities may be affected even if a settlement is not directly impacted.

• Key services are provided to settlements by distributed infrastructure networks (e.g. transport, energy, telecommunications).
• Where there is low (or no) infrastructure redundancy, damage to a network (at any point) can result in the remainder of the network becoming non-functional.
• Infrastructure networks are also interdependent, so damage to one network will likely impact other services. To reduce community risk, this project aims to assess post-disaster level-of-service expectations by infrastructure providers and communities, and how to effectively communicate level-of-service expectations between infrastructure providers and communities.
• Infrastructure providers (in association with government agencies) decide post-disaster infrastructure planning, but often without an understanding of the minimum levels-of-service isolated settlements require to function.
• Communities are also often unaware of infrastructure provider post-disaster level-of-service provision expectations, to the detriment of proactive disaster risk management and emergency response plans, which can cause communities to be insufficiently prepared.