The safety of Australians before, during and after a natural disaster is of the utmost importance to the Albanese Labor Government.
Ensuring access to a fleet of aircraft that can be used for firefighting and emergency rescue and evacuation in times of natural disaster, more steps towards putting downward pressure on insurance premiums and maintaining a stockpile of emergency supplies are just some of the important investments the Albanese Government is making to help keep Australians safe.
More than half of Australia’s Local Government Areas have experienced a natural disaster since July 2022 – many of them more than once.
That’s why we’re helping to deliver the national aerial emergency response capability worth more than $35 million over the next two years.
This will bring our total national contribution to $48 million per year.
The Albanese Government, through the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), will work with the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Aerial Firefighting Centre to shape a future fleet of aircraft that can be used across the country.
Establishing a sovereign aerial capability was a key recommendation in the Royal Commission into ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Natural Disaster Arrangements and will help ease the pressure on Australian Defence Force personnel and aerial assets.
We will also continue our work with the insurance sector through the Hazards Insurance Partnership and across the federal government to identify further ways to reduce disaster risk and put downward pressure on premiums.
The ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Emergency Management Stockpile (NEMS) will receive almost $27 million over the next three years to continue providing rapid access to critical emergency management goods and services to support state and territory emergency response and relief capabilities.
The NEMS became operational this 2023-24 Higher Risk Weather Season and has already been utilised, deploying an emergency shelter camp to Far North Queensland in response to Tropical Cyclone Jasper.
Delivering on all of these measures will be a top priority for NEMA, which has also secured ongoing funding.
The agency will continue its work on national natural disaster resilience and recovery and long-term disaster risk reduction, and oversight of Commonwealth disaster spending.
Establishing an enduring Commonwealth agency is another recommendation from the Royal Commission into ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Natural Disaster Arrangements this Government has completed.
For the third consecutive Budget, the Albanese Government has made significant improvements to the way states and territories are supported in their primary responsibility of disaster preparedness, response and recovery.
Since 2022, we have:
- Established the Disaster Ready Fund, providing $1 billion over five years from 2023-24 for projects that manage the physical and social impacts of climate change-driven disasters and other natural hazards. In 2023-24, 187 projects were funded and Round 2 projects will be announced soon.
- Established the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Emergency Management Stockpile to boost state and territory resources and a Standing Offer Panel for emergency management goods and services.
- Funded the veteran-led Disaster Relief Australia to provide suitably trained boots-on-the-ground volunteers to help communities clean up following a flood, bushfire or other disaster.
- Responded to all federal recommendations from the Royal Commission into ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Natural Disaster Arrangements, including by enhancing Australia’s ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Aerial Capability.
- Established the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Emergency Management Agency and addressed previously ad-hoc funding to secure it as an enduring part of the emergency management landscape.
- Conducted the first ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Disaster Preparedness Summit, bringing together governments, the private and not-for-profit sectors in advance of the High Risk Weather Season.
We are:
- Continuing to establish a ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Messaging System – so no matter where you are or what language you speak you will receive emergency warnings.
- Updating the Public Sector Mobile Broadband system, advancing work that has been put aside for over a decade to improve interoperability of communications for emergency services workers.
- Continuing to provide disaster relief funding through the joint Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) and Australian Government payments for individuals and small businesses.
- Improving flood gauges through the Flood Warning Infrastructure Network, ensuring the most at-risk regions have access to timely information.
