The Albanese Government is taking the next step in its national emergency management reform, introducing new Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements that are simpler and fairer for all Australians.
Minister for Emergency Management Kristy McBain today briefed the National Emergency Management Ministers’ Meeting on the proposed new Disaster Recovery Funding Framework.
The new framework will ensure Commonwealth funding will flow to impacted communities faster and with less red tape, while building on our record investment in risk reduction.
We will do this by working with the states and territories to:
- introduce standardised packages of assistance so impacted communities get access to timely, suitable supports.
- embed an equal partnership between the Australian, state and territory governments through a 50/50 funding model
- implement a simpler threshold for accessing disaster funding, delivering support to communities sooner
- introduce a Resilient Infrastructure Scheme to support communities to build back better after disaster, with funding of up to 15 per cent cost shared with jurisdictions.
The new framework responds to recommendations from the Independent Review of Commonwealth Disaster Funding, led by Mr Andrew Colvin AO APM.
The review found that Australia’s disaster management frameworks and arrangements have not evolved at the same rate as the changing nature of disasters, which have increased in size, scale, intensity, cost and complexity.
The new framework builds on the significant improvements the Albanese Government has made in emergency management, including:
- The establishment of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to create a single, nationally coordinated, end-to-end Commonwealth agency to better prepare for, respond to and recover from increasingly frequent and severe disasters.
- The Disaster Ready Fund (DRF) delivering disaster resilience and risk reduction across Australia.
- More than $100 million investment in the national aerial firefighting capability to support states and territories to respond to crises.
- The continued investment in the National Emergency Management Stockpile to support the roll-out of critical goods and services to communities quickly.
- delivering AusAlert, the new national emergency warning system that sends near instant emergency alerts to mobile devices – a more efficient, faster and secure system.
The Albanese Government will now engage with states and territories on key elements of the framework.
Additional information on the new Disaster Recovery Funding Framework can be found on the NEMA website.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Emergency Management, Kristy Mcbain
“In just the last Higher Risk Weather Season, we saw 60 severe weather events impacting more than 190 local government areas with some communities impacted back-to-back.
“I saw firsthand the immense impacts of this on communities – homes and livestock lost, businesses closed, major infrastructure damaged.
“Our reforms will create certainty about the support available to communities and ensure it flows as quickly as possible.
“I look forward to working constructively with jurisdictions to deliver a system that is simpler and fairer for all Australians.”
