Disaster Recovery in Australia - A Legal and Policy Survey

This report surveys the legal, policy and planning framework for disaster recovery in Australia. It is part of a global research project on ‘Law and Disaster Recovery’ conducted by IFRC Disaster Law. Under Australia’s federal system of government, state and territory governments have primary responsibility for emergency management, including recovery, with the Federal Government playing a supporting role. Accordingly, this report examines the legal and policy framework for recovery at both federal and state levels. 

Two states were selected for analysis: Victoria and New South Wales (NSW). The report analyses both standing instruments governing disaster recovery and instruments introduced specifically to guide the recovery from the 2019–20 bushfire season (the Black Summer Bushfires). It focuses on five key topics: (1) the applicable legal, policy and planning instruments; (2) institutional arrangements for disaster recovery; (3) funding and financial assistance for disaster recovery; (4) community-led recovery; and (5) mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) during disaster recovery.