For the first time in our nation’s history, dedicated safe and secure emergency shelter will be available to be rapidly deployed by the Australian Government to assist people displaced by a disaster this higher risk weather season.
Federal Emergency Management Minister, Murray Watt will be on hand in Adelaide today (Sunday) to see the first national stockpile of emergency shelter camps handed over to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
Supplied by Australian-owned Humanihuts, the mobile emergency shelter camps are a key component of the Albanese Government’s new National Emergency Management Stockpile.
Minister Watt said this vital national capability will support state and territory governments as they respond and recovery from natural disasters.
“In recent years we have seen the importance of emergency shelter in the aftermath of devastating natural disasters,” Minister Watt said.
“Now, as we establish Australia’s first ever National Emergency Management Stockpile, we will have access to these shelters at a moment’s notice, so we can rapidly deploy them to a disaster-area.
“We made acquiring these shelters a top priority, because when communities are impacted by a disaster, access to life sustaining resources such as safe emergency shelter is critical to reduce the overall level of harm.
“This will be the first of many contracts we establish to build a broader National Emergency Management Stockpile as we seek to develop alternatives options to the Australian Defence Force, to support disaster-hit communities.
“It’s just another way the Albanese Government is ensuring Australia is better prepared for natural disasters in the future.”
The Albanese Government, through NEMA, has contracted Humanihuts to supply, manage, maintain and deploy six modular semi-rigid emergency shelter camps, self-sufficient turnkey solutions, which include power, water and wastewater infrastructure.
These camps will be available over the Higher Risk Weather Season and will all be delivered by 30 June 2024.
The total Australian Government investment is $14.2 million to 30 June 2024, with options to extend.
Federal Member for Boothby Louise Miller-Frost said not only would this announcement support Australians in the darkest moments, but it would also support South Australian jobs.
“I have seen firsthand how bushfires and other disasters can impact a community,” Ms Miller-Frost said.
“If you lose your home or are forced to evacuate it is one of the most stressful times of your life.
“Having access to emergency shelter makes those really difficult times just a tiny bit easier.
“Importantly, Humanihuts is also a great South Australian success story and this investment by the Albanese Government will ensure more good local jobs as a result.”
Humanihuts Managing Director Neale Sutton said the camps had proven themselves as valuable additions to community relief following natural disasters.
“We are constantly improving our infrastructure based on the feedback of the people who have been using them in recovery and disaster zones in the last ten years, and we look forward to assisting Australians in their time of need,” Mr Sutton said.
“Humanihuts’ origins focused on providing humanitarian relief so that displaced people and those that support them have comfortable, well-equipped shelter in order to rest, recover and rebuild.”
The shelter camps include integrated laundry and ablution facilities, wheelchair accessible huts and additional functional support requirements.
These camps meet the functional needs of displaced communities, including people with limited mobility, families, and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Each hut can sleep up to four people and comes with reverse cycle air conditioning, block out blinds, lighting, power and flyscreens for maximum comfort.
The first camp will be available from 31 October, with the remaining being delivered at various stages through to June 2024 with eventual capacity to shelter up to 704 community members or 1,408 emergency service workers.
Further information:
NEMA received additional funding of more than $8 million through the 2023-24 Federal budget to build on a National Emergency Management Stockpile (NEMS) capability to provide rapid access to critical emergency management assets and resources to augment state and territory emergency response and immediate relief capabilities.
The NEMS program will be comprised of three parts:
- A national stockpile of Australian Government-owned disaster goods and services, and a seasonal strategic reserve of single-use consumables;
- A standing offer panel to facilitate the procurement, management and deployment of the Stockpile. A Request for Tender for this panel is currently open and more information is available on the AusTender website; and
- Memoranda of Understanding with other Australian Government crisis response and humanitarian relief capabilities.
More information on NEMS is available at the
National Emergency Management Agency’s website.
