Australians who have been through natural disasters are being encouraged to share their experiences as part of the Independent Review of Commonwealth Disaster Funding.
The review is seeking input on community experiences with funding programs, processes and support, understanding of the roles of the different levels of government during a disaster and thoughts on how the Commonwealth could support communities to reduce their disaster risk.
Public submissions opened last month, and will continue to accept feedback until 10pm AEST on Friday, 14 July 2023.
Mr Andrew Colvin APM OAM, a former Australian Federal Police Commissioner who led national recovery efforts after the 2019-20 Black Summer Bushfires, is leading the review.
The review is also considering how government investment in disaster risk reduction, preparedness, response, recovery and resilience can better support both a national system and the scale of transformation needed to build resilience to the extreme disaster events Australia is projected to experience over coming decades.
A final report is expected to be provided to Government in April 2024.
Minister for Emergency Management, Murray Watt said the review was a significant step to ensure Australia is well positioned to respond to natural disaster events into the future.
“This review is the next step in the Albanese Government’s ongoing work to ensure Australia is better prepared for, and responds faster to, future natural disasters,” Minister Watt said.
“We want to make sure our disaster funding model is current, effective and best supports Australians before, during and following a disaster.
“Submissions have been open for a few weeks, but we want to make sure that everyone who wishes to contribute can do so – from councils to small business owners, primary producers and individuals.
“It is important that this review considers views across all sectors so that we can better understand how we can improve current disaster supports and response arrangements, and I’d encourage as many people as possible to get involved.”
To provide your feedback and input, ask questions about the public submissions, and access more information about the review, please visit the National Emergency Management Agency’s website.
