The Disaster Ready Fund is an Australian Government initiative that will deliver up to $200 million in funding over five years from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2028, to fund projects that support natural disaster resilience and risk reduction.

The DRF’s objectives are to: 

1. Increasing the understanding of disaster impacts. Using this understanding to reduce the risk of future disaster impacts.

2. Increasing the resilience, adaptability, and preparedness of:

• governments,
• community groups and,
• affected communities, to reduce impact of natural hazards and avert disasters.

3. Reducing the exposure to risk, harm and/or severity of a future disaster's impacts including:

• reducing the recovery burden for governments,
• cohorts at a higher risk,
• and/or affected communities.

Eligibility

Only Australian state and territory governments, through Lead Agencies, are eligible to submit Applications to NEMA for DRF funding in Round Three 2025-26. However, any entity that satisfies the eligibility criteria in sections 4.2 and 4.3 may develop a Project Proposal and submit that proposal to a Lead Agency for its consideration. Eligible entities who develop Project Proposals are referred to in these guidelines as Applicants.

• Email: semc.grants@dfes.wa.gov.au