The Disaster Ready Fund is the Australian Government’s flagship disaster resilience and risk reduction initiative which will fund projects to support Australians to manage the physical, social and economic impacts of disasters caused by climate change and other natural hazards.

The Australian Government has announced that up to $1 billion will be committed through the Disaster Ready Fund over 5 years, from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2028.

The primary objectives of the DRF are to: 

1. increase the understanding of natural hazard disaster impacts, as a first step towards reducing disaster impacts in the future
2. increase the resilience, adaptive capacity and/or preparedness of governments, community service organisations and affected communities to minimise the potential impact of natural hazards and avert disasters, and
3. reduce the exposure to risk, harm and/or severity of a natural hazard’s impacts, including reducing the recovery burden for governments and vulnerable and/or affected communities.

The Australian Government has announced that there is no minimum or maximum amount of Australian Government funding per project, within the total allocated for 2024-25 of up to $197 million.

Eligibility

The following organisations from Victoria may propose individual projects for the Victorian application of the Disaster Ready Fund:

• State government departments and agencies
• Local government
• Floodplain management authorities
• Emergency service organisations
• Peak bodies and incorporated associations/organisations with an emergency management purpose, connection or interest
• Research institutions
• Private and non-government organisations, including small business and associated business groups.

• Email: drf@emv.vic.gov.au