Among other natural disasters, the ACT faces the threat of bushfires every year.
A new Disaster Ready Fund will ensure the ACT is better protected against and prepared for future natural disasters.
Round one of the Federal Government’s new Disaster Ready Fund includes funding for 13 local projects.
Through this 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 ACT Government will match Federal Government funding.
State and territory governments submitted applications for a range of projects to improve long-term 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
Almost 70 per cent of Australians were impacted by storms, floods, cyclones and bushfires in 2022 alone, signalling an urgent need to take decisive action.
The ACT faces the threat of bushfires, storm damage and floods every year. The Fund will enable the territory to better plan and prepare for future disasters and ensure it is in the best possible position to recover when disasters strike.
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.
More information on the Disaster Ready Fund, including updates about round two of the Disaster Ready Fund, can be found on NEMA’s website.
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