Councils seek $900 million per year for emergency management

The financial and human cost of natural disasters will continue to rise unless the next Australian Government significant increases emergency management funding to Australia’s 537 local governments.

ALGA President Mayor Matt Burnett said: “We’re calling for a $900 million per year fund, to be provided to all councils to improve their emergency management capacity and capability.”

“Natural disasters currently cost Australia $38 billion per year and this is predicted to grow to $73 billion by 2060,” Mayor Burnett said.

“Councils are at the forefront of emergency management – both before, during and after natural disasters – but we aren’t properly funded to do the work we do.”

“Unfortunately it’s often our regional councils and communities that have the least capacity to plan and respond to natural disasters that are hit the hardest.

“The Government’s $200 million annual Disaster Ready Fund is a good start but it’s oversubscribed every year, and with disaster mitigation projects often running into the hundreds of millions of dollars it doesn’t touch the sides.”

“As a nation we spend billions of dollars every year on emergency response and recovery, but only a tiny fraction of that on mitigation and resilience, and minimising the impact of disasters when they happen.”

“If we don’t invest more now in preparing for emergencies, and improving our capacity and capability to respond, our communities will continue to bear higher and higher costs.”

“The Government’s own emergency management reviews recommend increased support for councils to improve their emergency management capacity and capability and we need action on these recommendations.”

Mayor Burnett said it was important that any new federal emergency management funding is provided to all councils on a non-competitive, formula basis.

“When we have to compete against each other for limited funds, that means that some communities will inevitably miss out,” Mayor Burnett said.

“Between 2019 and 2023, 434 of Australia’s 537 councils were impacted by natural disasters, so this is absolutely a national problem that needs a strong national solution.”

Further information

ALGA has identified five federal election funding priorities for Australian councils, totalling $3.5 billion, including:

• $1.1 billion per year for enabling infrastructure to unlock housing supply,
• $900 million for emergency management capacity and capability,
• $500 million per year for community infrastructure,
• $600 million per year for safer local roads, and
• $400 million per year for climate adaptation.

ALGA is seeking these new programs to be provided to all councils every year on a non-competitive, formula basis, similar to the way in which Financial Assistance Grants and the Roads to Recovery Program are distributed.

For more information visit www.putourcommunitiesfirst.com.au.