The Colvin Review was commissioned to improve disaster funding arrangements.

The review examined how the Australian Government spends money on disasters so that we:

• reduce risks
• are ready for disasters
• better respond when they happen
• help people recover
• make communitites stronger.

There are well entrenched and understood principles that have served Australia well – principally that emergency management remains the core responsibility of state and territory governments. There has, however, been an evolution in two primary ways: 

• firstly, that the Commonwealth has been more visible and active in the emergency management phases of natural disasters; 
• secondly, that the community expects a far greater emphasis on risk reduction and resilience from all leaders within the disaster management community

A total of 47 recommendations were made under the following five themes.

1. Commonwealth role and coordination
2. A National Natural Disaster Outcomes Policy 
3. An evidence-informed, risk-based approach
4. Program reforms
5. Non-government and community sector.