One of Australia’s foremost natural disaster professionals, Brendan Moon, has been announced as Australia’s first Coordinator-General for National Emergency Management.

The new role will oversee the operations of the newly created National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to strengthen Australia’s ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.

Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt said Mr Moon’s work as the CEO of the Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA) has been nation leading.

“Queensland has had more than its fair share of natural disasters in the past decade and the way in which the QRA, under Brendan’s leadership, has responded and rebuilt has been very impressive,” Minister Watt said.

“In fact, other states have looked at the model created in Queensland and are now implementing similar authorities in their own jurisdictions.

“Brendan will ensure the new NEMA delivers national leadership and strategic coordination for emergencies and disaster preparedness, response, relief, recovery, reconstruction, risk reduction and resilience across all levels of government and sectors.”

Minister Watt said Australians rightly expect their governments to stand with them, especially during the worst of times.

“Through national leadership and coordination, NEMA will ensure states, territories, and the Australian community is supported in tangible, meaningful ways.

“Brendan’s role will be to ensure everyone involved in emergency management is working collaboratively, quickly and with the needs of their fellow Australians top of mind.

“By working together with state and local governments our primary goal will be building resilience to future disasters and supporting any response to unfolding events, while remaining deeply connected with communities still recovering from past disasters.

Minister Watt said it is vital the Australian Government responds better in times of emergency and gives people the time and support they need to recover, while also driving long-term preparedness.

“The best way we can collectively deal with more frequent and severe disasters is to be better prepared and adapt to the effects of climate change. The Australian Government will continue to support our national response to a broad range of threats, including significantly increasing investment in disaster mitigation through the Disaster Ready Fund.

Right now, officers from the National Emergency Management Agency are rolling up their sleeves and getting on with the job. Dedicated teams are continuing to offer support in the aftermath of major natural disasters like this year’s widespread floods and are working closely with the states and territories to ensure we are all prepared for the High Risk weather season.”