He has been awarded the prize for his work developing models to predict the likely social impact of a disaster such as the outbreak of an infectious disease, a bio-terrorism event or climate change.

Dr Newth says the model can also be used to work out strategies to produce the best outcome.

"Making what is essentially a really big computer game to simulate out what happens in the event of things like disease outbreak in Australia, how certain policies in terms of mitigation strategies, how we vaccination people, how things like closures of schools will affect the spread of the disease," he said.

Dr Newth says the model uses population statistics like age and wealth distribution and travel times to work.

"If we know this event's going to happen, what impact is it likely to have, how many people, for example front line health workers, will be directly affected, how many middle managers will be affected, how many schools are going to be closed because there are not enough teachers to go to work," he said.

Fast communications

Meanwhile, CSIRO's highest award went to a team of scientists who developed the world's fastest and most efficient wireless communications link.

The ICT Centre Gigabit Wireless Team received the Chairman's Medal for its work developing the world's first six gigabit per second wireless link.

The link can transfer data faster than other technologies and can operate in cloudy and foggy conditions.

The team is now in the process of commercialising the product. © 2007 Australian Broadcasting Corporation