The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport’s inquiry into local government funding will hear from the Department of Home Affairs and also the National Emergency Management Agency.
The Committee wants to better understand how NEMA and the Department manage their important roles in the financial sustainability of local governments in Australia during times of natural disaster and in supporting social cohesion.
Committee Chair, Mrs Fiona Phillips, said "the Committee will be particularly interested in the oversight of Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) and the Disaster Ready Fund (DRF) relating to their use and usefulness to local governments."
The DRFA is a cost sharing arrangement between the Commonwealth and the states and territories to support the delivery of urgent financial assistance to disaster affected communities. Once the DRFA is activated, the Government may reimburse states and territories up to 75 per cent of the financial assistance provided.
The DRF delivers up to $200 million of Commonwealth funding annually to establish a comprehensive set of disaster resilience and mitigation projects across Australia, in partnership with Australian state, territory and local governments.
The Committee will explore what barriers and inefficiencies local governments encounter when applying for and accessing this funding, and how the Commonwealth might be able to enhance the productivity, coordination, and overall effectiveness of funding delivered to local governments.
Further information on the inquiry, including the terms of reference and how to contribute, is available on the Committee’s website.
Public hearing
Date: Thursday, 12 February 2026
Time: 11.00 am – 12.00 pm
Location: Committee Room 1R3, Parliament House, Canberra
A program for the public hearing is available on the inquiry website. A live broadcast of the hearing will also be available on the APH website.
Media inquiries
Mrs Fiona Phillips, MP
Media Adviser: Katrina Condie 0437 662 967
For background information
Committee Secretariat
02 6277 2232
[email protected]
For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and find details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track this Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.
