The Albanese Government is showing national leadership in the face of increasing natural disasters by establishing a national stockpile of emergency housing, generators, potable water and other equipment and services communities need during and after a disaster.
The $8.6 million National Emergency Management Stockpile (NEMS), funded in the 2023-24 Federal Budget, will provide reliable, readily deployable life sustaining resources for state and territory governments to meet the acute needs of disaster-impacted communities.
Supplies will include self-sustaining emergency shelter camps, water desalination and purification systems, high output power generators and emergency response consumables such as sandbags, deployable at short notice.
Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt said the NEMS will be established and maintained by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
“Since 2020, more than 80 per cent of Australia’s Local Government Areas have been impacted by disasters,” Minister Watt said.
“The last three years have demonstrated that the displacement of thousands of people after a disaster is becoming the norm, due to the increased frequency, intensity and scale of disasters.”
“The NEMS builds a national emergency capability to support states and territories when their capacity is exceeded.
“The Stockpile will be able to quickly scale up the response following a disaster and get communities back up and running with essentials like shelter, water and power.
“It will also provide us with an additional deployment capability, supplementing Australian Defence Force (ADF) capabilities and reducing our significant reliance on them for domestic response and relief support.”
Special Envoy for Disaster Recovery Tony Sheldon said the national stockpile would ensure Australians were better prepared for future disasters.
“Today’s announcement demonstrates the Albanese Government’s ongoing commitment to strengthening Australia’s disaster preparedness, response and recovery,” Senator Sheldon said.
“We will continue to work with all communities across the country to build resilience against natural hazards so that they need not become humanitarian disasters.”
The National Emergency Management Stockpile will be developed in collaboration with State and Territory governments over the next 12 months and managed by the National Emergency Management Agency.
As well as maintaining a stockpile or readily deployable assets, NEMA will establish a panel of providers that the Australian Government and State and Territory government agencies can access to procure goods and specialist services.
A Memoranda of Understanding will also be developed with other Australian Government humanitarian and crisis response capabilities, providing access to additional specialist emergency management capabilities.
