The Australian Capital Territory will be better protected and prepared for future natural disasters following today's announcement of 13 local projects funded under Round One of the Albanese Government's new Disaster Ready Fund.
Through the first round, the ACT will benefit from over $14 million in combined investment into disaster prevention, through the Federal, State and delivery partner co-contributions.
The Fund was an election commitment by the Albanese Government, and will deliver national long-term mitigation funding to help protect communities from natural disasters.
State and Territory governments submitted applications for a range of projects to improve mitigation and resilience, in collaboration with local Councils and community groups.
Local funded projects include:
- Climate change and flood-resilience improvements to infrastructure for visitors to the ACT
- Future-proofing of eroding landscapes and waterways to improve water quality entering the Cotter Dam
- Flood studies and monitoring systems
- A First Nations partnership to reduce risk and enhance culturally-led initiatives.
A full list of projects is available here: https://nema.gov.au/programs/disaster-ready-fund/round-one
Federal Minister for Emergency Management, Murray Watt said close to 70 per cent of Australians were impacted by storms, floods, cyclones and bushfires in 2022 alone, signalling the urgent need to take decisive action.
"As a country we invest far more in recovering from disasters than we do defending against them, and that mentality has got to change," Minister Watt said.
"This is about more than just bricks and mortar. We are changing the way Australia deals with natural disasters by planning better for the future to ensure that communities all around the country are better prepared, less exposed and in the best possible position to recover when disasters strike.
"This is just one step in our commitment to disaster reduction and mitigation – working with state and territory governments to better protect and prepare Australians for future disasters."
ACT Minister for Police and Emergency Services Mick Gentleman said the funding will build greater resilience for communities and infrastructure.
"The ACT faces the threat of bushfires, storm damage and floods every year as natural disasters are becoming more common and more dangerous due to climate change," Minister Gentleman said.
"The Federal Government funding is being matched by the ACT and will make a real difference where it's needed most."
Over the last year, the Federal Government has paid out more than $2.7 billion in recovery and resilience programs and payments to support individuals and communities impacted by natural disasters.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) will work with each jurisdiction to negotiate funding agreements with funds to be provided as soon as possible from July 2023. Projects must be completed within three years.
There were more than 300 applications submitted across all states and territories. Successful projects were selected following a rigorous merit-based assessment process undertaken by NEMA.
