Due to climate change, natural disasters are occurring across the world with greater frequency and severity. Concurrent and consecutive disaster events are expected to occur more often, increasing pressure on the resilience of communities. These changes in extreme climate variability are compelling governments to reassess their approaches to disaster preparedness, response and recovery to ensure the nation’s capability and capacity to respond is not only sufficient, but also sustainable. 

Australia’s federal system of governance, where the roles and responsibilities for emergency management are split between three levels of government, creates a unique set of challenges revolving around coordination, communication and cooperation that must be overcome to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of Australia’s disaster response arrangements. This report explores a range of issues highlighting the areas identified in the evidence as requiring improvement, and outlines a number of proposals to strengthen Australia’s emergency response arrangements and improve Australia’s disaster resilience.

This report contains four chapters which include the committee’s views and recommendations throughout:

• Chapter 1 has provided background information on the effect of climate change on the frequency and severity of natural disasters in Australia, and outlined conduct of the inquiry, including the committee’s interim report;
• Chapter 2 will define and discuss disaster resilience, and outline the challenges facing Australia’s current disaster mitigation, response and recovery arrangements;
• Chapter 3 addresses the decline of volunteerism in Australia, what this means for Australia’s disaster resilience, and how it can be addressed; and
• Chapter 4 discusses the role of the ADF in responding to natural disasters, before canvassing alternative disaster response models. This chapter also considers relevant international examples.

Recommendations

1. The Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements and relevant guidelines be amended to enable funds to be distributed for the purpose of building betterment into recovery and reconstruction.
2. The Australian Government establish a national asset register to improve the efficiency of the deployment of resources in the aftermath of a disaster. 
3. The Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements be amended to set aside a proportion of funding to be offered to local governments up-front to help facilitate disaster recovery and resilience.
4. The Australian Government consider amendments to the Fair Work Act 2009 to legislate time off for volunteers working with registered organisations and for volunteers to be granted leave from employment.
5. In circumstances where the cost of relevant training is not covered by the organisation, the Australian Government consider amendments to legislation, policy and guidelines to allow volunteers working in organisations such as State Emergency and Rural Bushfire Services to claim tax deductions for training and courses that are a part of their emergency volunteering.
6. The Australian Government establish a national disaster mental health hub to coordinate and provide mental health resources, training, and support for first responders and communities affected by disasters across the nation. 
7. The committee recommends that the Australian Government design and implement consistent national trauma-informed care principles, ensuring that first responders—both professional and volunteer—receive training and support in these national principles to better address the mental health and well-being of disaster-affected individuals and communities. 
8. The Australian Government convene a disaster resilience mental health summit to hear from all related agencies and stakeholders to identify solutions to the mental health impacts of disaster.
9. The Australian Government consider how it can further support Disaster Relief Australia, and other similar organisations, not only with funding beyond 2026, but also how the Australian Government can further incorporate Disaster Relief Australia into its national disaster response arrangements and boost its numbers through partnerships with the Australian Defence Force and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
10. The committee recommends that the Australian Government consider ways to incentivise young Australians to participate in volunteer organisations that provide support for disaster response and recovery.