A review of the jointly-funded Commonwealth-State/Territory Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) has been announced following one of the most devastating natural disaster seasons in Australia’s history.
Minister for Emergency Management, David Littleproud said the DRFA was being reviewed to ensure assistance under the program was fair and equitable for people living in different States.
“The devastating 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires affected multiple States at the same time,” Mr Littleproud said.
“However different types and levels of assistance were provided across each State,” he said.
“The review will look into how each State applies the DRFA and whether the program should be adjusted to deliver more equitable, needs-based, assistance for all Australians, regardless of where they live.”
He said the review would examine whether any parts of the current arrangements could be streamlined so that Governments could respond quicker and more effectively to community recovery needs.
“Emergency Management Ministers have also agreed that the review will look at how the DRFA funding can be better used to make damaged infrastructure more resilient through the rebuilding process,” the Minister said.
“This has been successfully done in Queensland, with public infrastructure being built back better so that it can withstand the impacts of future disasters.”
He said that process not only improved community resilience, but was more cost-effective for all levels of Government in the long term.
