Summary
We know that the Commonwealth’s Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) can be complex to navigate, with nuances in how different states administer them.
With the frequency and intensity of natural disasters expected to increase, we all need to be on the front foot to ensure the DRFA enables us to act swiftly and confidently to support community recovery.
Abstract
Thousands of Victorians have been impacted by bushfires, storms, and floods in recent years. The floods in October 2022 and December 2023 left communities with cumulative and compounding impacts, some of which are only now being addressed.
The Commonwealth’s cost-sharing arrangements – the DRFA – are foundational to recovery from natural disasters. In Victoria, the council DRFA program has grown 5-fold in the last 5 years – straining systems and highlighting the need for all of us to put processes in place before the next major emergency.
In this presentation, Emergency Recovery Victoria (ERV) and the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) will highlight the work underway to streamline the DRFA for reconstruction of essential public assets, how councils can ready themselves for the DRFA, and where contractors can value add when working with councils to deliver their DRFA programs.
Working together, we can navigate the DRFA, achieve positive outcomes and expedite Victoria’s recovery.