Emergency Response Fund Amendment (Disaster Ready Fund)

“The Disaster Ready Fund Bill makes good on this commitment. The Bill will transform the former Government's failed Emergency Response Fund into a dedicated ongoing source of funding for natural disaster resilience and risk reduction initiatives.”

Australian Labor Party • Senator • 21 Nov 2022

“The amendments in this bill change the name of the former government's emergency response fund to the Disaster Ready Fund, allow $200 million to be debited from the DRF for natural disaster resilience and risk reduction, and allow the minister to adjust that maximum disbursement amount by a disallowable legislative instrument. I think that's a sensible move, to be honest with you. It will facilitate the transfer of responsibility for fund expenditure to the new National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and streamline administrative arrangements in this space.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 26 Oct 2022

“I absolutely welcome that, finally, we're going to get to see this significant fund being used, and put to good use, rather than having it sit languishing as it has done for years. I remember that when we first voted for this fund we supported the government on this fund even though they took money away from university assets to do it. But we said, 'This is needed and it's needed now.' That was years ago and not a cent has been spent. It has earnt interest but that has not helped my community. I am very pleased to see tangible action from the Albanese government.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 26 Oct 2022

“That's why I will be supporting this bill and commend it to the House.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 26 Oct 2022

“The Albanese Labor government accepts that climate change is occurring. We accept the advice of climate scientists and economists who say that the costs associated with climate change are going to grow unless we invest in mitigation infrastructure, and that is exactly what this bill does. It ensures that the government establishes the Disaster Ready Fund, investing up to $200 million a year, matched by the states and territories, in disaster risk reduction and mitigation. The CSIRO has found that, for every dollar spent reducing disaster risk, it will save between $2 and $11 on disaster recovery and reconstruction.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 26 Oct 2022

“I'm relieved this bill, the Emergency Response Fund Amendment (Disaster Ready Fund) Bill 2022, will transform the former government's Emergency Response Fund into a dedicated, ongoing source of funding for natural disaster resilience and risk reduction initiatives. This government, through the Disaster Ready Fund, will provide up to $200 million per year to invest in mitigation projects like firebreaks, flood levees, cyclone shelters and evacuation centres around the country. When I travel through my communities across Eden-Monaro—from Batlow to Cobargo, from Braidwood to Kiah—I know from listening to locals who are still struggling with the hurdles and the mental toll of recovery that an ongoing funding source for disaster resilience and risk reduction is going to be much appreciated.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 26 Oct 2022

“These are the things that this Disaster Ready Fund can do—the difference that we can make now as the Albanese government. This is a $1 billion fund to mitigate potential disaster loss and damage. It is critical. It will save lives. It will make sure that our devastating experience during the bushfires hasn't all been in vain.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 26 Oct 2022

“This bill is about ensuring that as a country we have a fund that allows us to do preventative things rather than just respond to these events. I think every Australian will welcome the government putting in place these measures.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 27 Oct 2022

“So I'm delighted that this Disaster Ready Fund bill will lead to real action in terms of both mitigation and support for those who will inevitably be affected by worsening weather events. This fund will provide up to $200 million per year to invest in mitigation projects like flood levees, which are really needed in places like Katherine; cyclone shelters, which are needed throughout the north; and fire breaks and evacuation centres in the Northern Territory and around Australia.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 26 Oct 2022

“We are committed to better protecting towns—like all of us here—like Eugowra, for people like Greg, Sandra and Mark. We support the bill.”

Australian Labor Party • Senator • 22 Nov 2022

“This bill will implement our election commitment and will replace the former government's failed Emergency Response Fund. In the three years since that fund was established in 2019, with what ended up being $4.8 billion in it, the fund did not build a single disaster mitigation project or release a cent in recovery funding. All it did was earn the former coalition government over $800 million in interest. This legislation will replace this failed fund with a dedicated ongoing natural disaster resilience and risk reduction fund, the Disaster Ready Fund. The Disaster Ready Fund will provide up to $200 million a year, matched where possible by state, territory and local governments, to mitigate the devastating impacts of natural disasters by providing funding for disaster resilience and mitigation activities. Now we are finalising this commitment and delivering on it by writing the Disaster Ready Fund into law.”

Australian Labor Party • Senator • 22 Nov 2022

“In contrast, the Albanese government is getting on with the job of building a better Australia, building a country that's ready to face the future. This bill will ensure that Australia is better prepared for future disasters. It will provide up to $200 million per year to invest in mitigation projects, like flood levees, cyclone shelters, firebreaks and evacuation centres around Australia as well as building natural disaster resilience.”

Australian Labor Party • Senator • 22 Nov 2022

“The nature of climate change and where we live means that we face incredible and real risks of natural disasters. Be they floods on the east coast or fires on the west coast, these are matters that we absolutely have to focus on because there is no greater threat to our people, our property and our environment. I'm extremely proud to be part of a government that is now unlocking taxpayer funds that rightfully should be made available to mitigate those risks and to protect our communities.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 26 Oct 2022

“The bill will implement the government's election commitment to replace the Emergency Response Fund with a dedicating ongoing natural disaster resilience and risk reduction fund, the Disaster Ready Fund. The Disaster Ready Fund will provide up to $200 million a year to mitigate the devastating impacts of natural disasters by providing funding for disaster resilience and mitigation initiatives.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 27 Oct 2022

“The opposition will support this bill. We will be moving an amendment to make it more transparent. We cannot underestimate the current fragility of our rural and regional communities. We pride ourselves on our toughness and our ability to get on with the job, but large parts of Australia are at present struggling and they need to know that we are going to stand by them in both recovery and future mitigation efforts. I implore the government to make sure that, while moving this funding from recovery to mitigation projects, they don't turn their back on the funding that will be required following these floods. In this latest disaster the road infrastructure that needs to be repaired is going to require a significant commitment from the government, so I implore the government not to forget this hard task at hand. We will support the bill with an amendment for this Emergency Response Fund.”

National Party • Senator • 22 Nov 2022

“I rise to speak in support of this amendment to the Emergency Response Fund Amendment (Disaster Ready Fund) Bill 2022, but I also bring to the debate the personal experience of the past fortnight as my electorate of Nicholls has been ravaged by an unprecedented flood emergency. The Emergency Response Fund was set up by the coalition government in 2019. It was funded by the uncommitted balance of the Education Investment Fund, which was then closed. It was an investment fund intended to grow over time and maximise the Commonwealth's capacity to support states and territories to respond to major natural disasters into the future.”

National Party • MP • 26 Oct 2022

“This is an area that we should be working together in. I'm pleased that the coalition is supporting this bill. I respect and support the member for Page's second reading amendment, for the reasons I outlined at the beginning of my contribution. Nonetheless, I think that when it comes to supporting our communities to deal with these significant events that they are going to face in the future we should be doing it with a sense of unity. I anticipate that this will be supported through the parliament without dissent. With those comments I commend the bill to the House.”

Liberal Party • MP • 26 Oct 2022

“While the opposition will be supporting this bill today, we are concerned about the responsible minister's power to increase the maximum disbursement amount by instrument, pushing aside the legislated cap.”

National Party • MP • 25 Oct 2022

“This bill does propose to repurpose the existing Emergency Response Fund to focus on disaster mitigation and risk reduction, on building resilience and on preparing for future natural disasters. This is welcome. But there is one problem: there's no more money in the fund. It's just shifting the same amount of money from before, from disaster recovery to disaster preparedness.”

Australian Greens • MP • 26 Oct 2022

“We support the principle of this bill. The government has a duty to keep citizens and communities safe. We should be investing to develop climate disaster resilience and preparedness but this fund does not go far enough. Climate disasters are forecast to increase, and we can see them around us and around the planet. We need to ensure that we have the capacity to support communities by lifting the spending cap from $200 million to 300 million. We also need to require that the disaster fund does not invest in fossil fuels. We cannot have a fund invested in the companies that are responsible for causing the very same climate disasters that the fund is set up to protect against.”

Australian Greens • Senator • 22 Nov 2022

“I welcome this bill and the government's commitment to proactive measures of mitigation and adaptation to natural disasters. The impacts of climate change are already baked into our environment, and we need to assess what the risks are, adapt to them and mitigate them as best as possible. Australians know that this is true. We are seeing this on a daily basis with the floods that have been running across the east coast of the country for the past year. I welcome the changes in this legislation, but I urge the government: (1) to develop a plan to conduct regular national climate risk assessments; (2) to develop regular mitigation and adaptation plans in response to those national climate risk assessments; and (3) to consider broadening the definition of natural disasters to include pandemics to provide a shovel-ready tool to distribute funds in the event of future events such as COVID-19.”

Independent • MP • 26 Oct 2022

“This bill is a good development, but we do need more. I'd like to see the inclusion of emergency services precincts or emergency operations precincts in eligible projects. These would coordinate emergency and volunteer services efforts and help recruit the much-needed volunteers. Everywhere I go across my electorate, most particularly in the last couple of weeks with the floods, when I speak the SES and the CFA, they tell me that their volunteer numbers are down and those who are left are exhausted. When we talk about resilience funding, we need to make sure that the guidelines enable us to address that as a key problem and to address the fact that multiservice precincts are a great way to go to capitalise on the volunteers that we have got—share resources, share information. I believe those things fit squarely within the resilience aspect of these funds. I know right now Mansfield and Myrtleford are two places that could benefit so greatly from emergency services precincts.”

Independent • MP • 26 Oct 2022

“I hope that by passing this bill we provide them with the support they need and deserve. I commend this bill to the House.”

Independent • MP • 26 Oct 2022

“In conclusion, I support this bill, given that it addresses the specific need to fund disaster resilience efforts, but I strongly urge the government to, firstly, include coastal hazard management in the funding allocated to the Disaster Ready Fund; secondly, review the quantum of the Disaster Ready Fund, given that it represents only 0.5 per cent of the annual cost to the country of natural disasters; and, thirdly, commit to transparency in relation to the allocation of the Disaster Ready Fund, on both the definition of disaster mitigation and the criteria that will be used to prioritise projects.”

Independent • MP • 26 Oct 2022

“It's unclear from the bill how the $200 million per annum will be allocated for natural disaster resilience and risk reduction. I'm pleased that the government has moved from a reactionary to a preparatory footing. This bill is a start. Of course, I support it. I say to members who are experiencing flooding in their electorate now that the hearts of those in my community go out to your communities. I have the end of the River Murray in my electorate and I know that many in South Australia are beginning to hold their breath as we see the River Murray waters continue further downstream. I commend this bill to the House.”

Centre Alliance • MP • 27 Oct 2022

“This legislation is a step in the right direction, but the money versus the cost of the damage is just a drop in the warming ocean. It's a reminder, too, of how much more there is to be done.”

Independent • MP • 26 Oct 2022