Select Committee on Australia’s Disaster Resilience unveils Interim Report
The Senate Select Committee on Australia’s Disaster Resilience was appointed to inquire into Australia’s preparedness, response and recovery workforce models, as well as alternative models to disaster recovery.
The committee is considering the role of the Australian Defence Force, volunteer groups, not-for-profit organisations and state-based services, and the support required to improve Australia’s resilience and response to natural disasters.
This month, the committee handed down its Interim Report, which has a list of recommendations aimed at helping improve the nation’s disaster preparedness.
Key challenges noted in the Interim Report
Natural disasters are becoming more frequent, occurring concurrently and having significant, long-term impacts on all aspects of our society. There is now expected to be longer and more intense fire seasons, more extreme heat events, less frequent but more intense cyclones, and an increased likelihood of cyclones moving further south.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) commented:
“As in many parts of the world, Australia is experiencing an increase in the frequency, severity, and impact of climate change-influenced disasters. The seventh biennial State of the Climate 2022 report shows Australia is experiencing ongoing, long-term climate change, and has warmed on average by 1.47 (± 0.24) degrees since 1910.”
This will not come without an economic cost. The Department of Home Affairs offered this analysis of what the costs are and how they are expected to grow:
“The cost of natural disasters in Australia is estimated to increase from an average of $18.2 billion in 2016 to $73 billion per annum by 2060, even under a low emissions scenario.”
More significantly, climate change and the increased frequency and intensity of natural disasters will bring a significant human cost. The Department of Health and Aged Care observed:
“Findings from a recent Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements indicate that natural disasters (and extreme weather) give rise to increased rates of stress, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), alcohol and substance abuse, aggression and violence, suicide, and exacerbation of other underlying mental health problems.”
At the same time, the ability of Australian society to respond to these challenges is diminishing through the decreased number of volunteers available. NaturalHazards Research Australia observed:
“Research shows that formal volunteering is declining and that change is required to ensure a sustainable model into the future. These changes include reducing the administration burden on volunteering and also increasing the flexibility to enable people to volunteer.”
Key recommendations of the Interim Report
To address these challenges, the Interim Report makes four key recommendations.
Recommendation 1:
The Senate Select Committee on Australia’s Disaster Resilience recommends that the House of Representatives Economics Committee examine insurance companies’ handling of flood payouts.
Recommendation 2:
The Senate Select Committee on Australia’s Disaster Resilience recommends that a parliamentary inquiry be established into land planning with respect to natural disaster resilience.
Recommendation 3:
The Senate Select Committee on Australia’s Disaster Resilience recommends that, in light of the current Independent Review of Commonwealth Disaster Funding (Colvin Review), the Review considers evidence provided to the Select Committee around the need to use funds to build back better and standardise a regime across the States and Territories.
Recommendation 4:
The Senate Select Committee on Australia’s Disaster Resilience recommends that the Independent Review of National Natural Disaster Governance Arrangements (Glasser Review) look at the current COMDISPLAN and the triaging of emergencies in light of its impact on the Australian Defence Force.
You can read the full Interim Report at the Parliament website here.