Shane Stone to lead new National Recovery and Resilience Agency
By
Shannon Jenkins
Wednesday May 5, 2021
Scott Morrisson and Shane Stone in 2019. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch)
The government will establish a National Recovery and Resilience Agency and an Australian Climate Service to help Australia better prepare for natural disasters and adapt to the changing climate.
Former Northern Territory chief minister Shane Stone has been appointed as coordinator-general of the agency, which will combine the former National Drought and North Queensland Flood Response and Recovery Agency and the National Bushfire Recovery Agency.
The creation of the agency was recommended by the bushfire royal commission.
In the six months before the last federal election, the government awarded more than $630m worth of grants from programs like the better regions fund, which faced significant criticism for its distribution of cash to Coalition electorates.
Ahead of what is shaping up to be a big-spending budget, with initiatives in mental health, aged care, and childcare, the Reserve Bank of Australia revised its economic growth projections upwards on Tuesday. The central bank is now predicting the Australian economy will grow by 4.75% in 2021 and 3.5% in 2022.
The reserve bank cited a pickup in business investment and household spending âsupported by the strengthening in balance sheets over the past yearâ as reasons for the more optimistic growth forecast. The bank predicts Australiaâs unemployment rate will hit 5% by the end of 2021 and 4.5% by the end of 2022.
The government has rolled out more than $1.2 billion on three separate measures, including $600 million to establish an agency to co-ordinate disaster relief.
Australians vulnerable to bushfires, floods and cyclones could have their homes upgraded to make them more resistant with new federal funding to combat natural disasters.
In the wake of the horrific 2019 bushfires and floods and cyclones this year, Scott Morrison is setting up the National Recovery and Resilience Agency to respond to future catastrophes.
The agency will be given $600million for beefing up the defences of regional communities and training emergency services to deal with disasters.
Australians whose homes are vulnerable to bushfires, floods and cyclones could have them upgraded to make them more resistant. Pictured: The Gospers Mountain Fire in December 2019