Australia: $13.5 million for New South Wales natural disaster resilience program
Ministerial media release
The New South Wales Minister for Police and Emergency Services, The Hon Michael Gallacher MLC, and the Acting Commonwealth Minister for Emergency Management, The Hon Jason Clare MP, have today announced more than $13.5 million funding to improve resilience in New South Wales' communities to withstand natural disasters.
The funding is available through the New South Wales and Australian Government's National Partnership Agreement on Natural Disaster Resilience.
"The grant schemes are open to local agencies with emergency management or disaster risk reduction responsibilities to help prepare their communities for potential emergency situations," Mr Gallacher said.
Mr Clare said the partnership approach between all levels of government and the community is helping to build a culture of shared responsibilities to natural disasters between governments, non-government agencies and the community.
"In order to build resilience, we must continue to work together - State, and Federal Governments - along with local government, volunteer agencies, critical infrastructure providers, the private sector and communities.
"Together we will build a better understanding of our emergency risks, and also build a shared understanding of how we can prepare for, and best protect our homes, our businesses and our communities if a major emergency or disaster happens," Mr Clare said.
Funding is available through the Auxiliary Disaster Resilience Grants Scheme, Emergency Volunteer Support Scheme, State Emergency Management Projects, Floodplain Risk Management Grants Scheme, Bushfire Risk Management Grants Scheme and the Emergency Risk Management Program. Applications are now being sought for the first three programs.
The Auxiliary Disaster Resilience Grants Scheme is targeted at the reduction of risks on an all hazards basis and at improving the local level emergency management capability and capacity.The Emergency Volunteer Support Scheme will deliver funding to emergency management volunteer agencies and volunteer groups to support volunteer recruitment, retention and training.The State Emergency Management Projects will assist New South Wales Government agencies and other emergency management organisations operating at the state level. The scheme will be targeted at projects that address key natural disaster risk knowledge gaps, trial or enhance natural disaster resilience or emergency management capability on a state-wide basis."Projects that would receive favourable consideration under the schemes would be those such as warning systems, technical risk studies, community engagement measures and emergency management capability development activities all of which help build readiness to deal with disaster," Mr Gallacher said.
"I encourage all local agencies with ideas about how to better protect and prepare their communities for the potential impact of disasters to submit their proposals. All submissions will be given very careful consideration," Mr Gallacher concluded.
Application forms and guidelines, and further information are available on the Ministry for Police and Emergency Services website www.mpes.nsw.gov.au/fundingawards/ndrp