From 1 September, the National Recovery and Resilience Agency and Emergency Management Australia will join to become the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), a single, enduring, end-to-end agency to better respond to emergencies, help communities recover, and prepare Australia for future disasters. The announcement was made today by Senator the Hon Murray Watt, Minister for Emergency Management at the Australian Disaster Resilience Conference in Adelaide.

“This will provide holistic disaster management at the commonwealth level and will mean that all disaster management from disaster response, right through to planning, mitigation and recovery will be done under the same roof at the commonwealth level” he said. 

In a changing climate, Australia is facing more frequent and intense floods, storms, bushfires and drought, so we need to ensure a better response in times of emergency while driving long-term preparedness and lasting recovery.

The new Agency will keep Australia safe by monitoring all hazards and emergencies around the clock, sharing knowledge with key state and local governments and partners as well as connecting impacted communities with funding and support on the ground through our Recovery Support Officers.

We will continue working closely with local communities to understand their needs and work together to deliver real impact. This means listening, learning from past experiences and providing real-world and practical solutions to communities across Australia.