Management of shared disaster responsibilities ‘needs attention’

Local
government’s varying ability to manage natural disasters needs to be better
understood by the states when delegating roles and providing support.

And while many councils share resources during natural disasters to great effect, this warrants greater state backing, the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements said this week.

In an interim report containing over 140 observations, the Royal Commission said more clarity on the roles and responsibilities of various levels of government would be beneficial – while also highlighting issues around betterment initiatives.

“All states
have delegated to local governments significant responsibilities for aspects of
managing natural disasters,” the report said.

“However,
the capability and capacity of local governments to do this work appears to
depend on their relative size and the resources available to them and varies
across Australia.

“Notwithstanding
this delegation, we would expect state governments to ensure that they retain
oversight and understanding of the capabilities and capacity of local
government to perform these responsibilities, and to provide support as
necessary.

“Coordination
and resource sharing between local governments often rely on regional
arrangements and, in some cases, informal understandings. Current processes to
facilitate sharing resources between local governments during natural disasters
appear beneficial and warrant greater support.

“Cooperation
and collaboration between Australian, state, territory and local governments is
vital in national natural disasters, particularly in disasters that affect
multiple communities and multiple jurisdictions concurrently.

“Clarity
about the roles and responsibilities of various levels of government is
therefore necessary to ensure services are delivered effectively and
efficiently, and to ensure appropriate levels of accountability.”

On disaster
recovery funding arrangements, the interim review said: “We have learned of a
number of issues, including the scope of ‘betterment’ initiatives, the
eligibility of certain public assets, and administrative requirements (such as
preparation of a business case for new recovery programs).

“We welcome
the current review of DRFA which, in part, seeks to identify pre-agreed
recovery programs that can promote quick and effective delivery o recovery
assistance to communities.”

Royal commission chairman Mark Binskin said the interim report had been produced to allow for preparations ahead of the 2020-21 bushfire season. The final report is due on October 28.