3.6.1 Natural Disaster Relief & Recovery Arrangements (NDRA)

3.6.1.1  Arrangements for natural disaster relief and recovery funding should be amended to allow more flexibility in the use of that funding for the  betterment of damaged assets where it is deemed necessary and appropriate. Funds for this upgrading of assets should be made available on the basis of equal shares of funding from Federal, State and Local Government.

3.6.2 Community Disaster Resilience and Disaster Mitigation

3.6.2.1 The Federal and State Governments should commit to continued funding of the Natural Disaster Resilience Program (NDRP) as a fund to assist local governments to undertake community resilience building projects to reduce the impacts of identified naturaldisaster risks on communities.

3.6.2.2 The Federal and State Governments should commit to specific funding programs to enable local governments to undertake essential physical mitigation programs to further reduce the exposure of communities to the impacts of natural disasters and to ensure the protection of essential community infrastructure.

3.6.3 Fire Services

3.6.3.1  Administration of the Fire Services Levy should be made as simple and practical as possible by the State Government to minimise the burden placed on Local Government by this additional function.

3.6.3.2  Local Governments should be fully compensated for all costs involved in establishing and administering the Fire Services Levy.

3.6.3.3  Local Government should be kept informed of State Government proposals and initiatives relating to the planning for or expansion of fire services.

3.6.3.4  Local Government supports the concept that there be no State Government fire levy on rural properties for the purpose of funding Rural Fire Brigades, but not to the extent of precluding a discretionary power for Local Governments to raise funding for rural fire brigades.

3.6.4 Terrorism

3.6.4.1  Local Government should be kept fully informed of Federal and State Governments proposals and initiatives relating to counter-terrorism, in particular, critical infrastructure risk assessment and management strategies.

3.6.4.2  Financial assistance should be provided by Federal and State Governments for Local Government to undertake risk assessment studies and develop mitigation strategies in relation to the protection of critical infrastructure potentially impacted upon by terrorist activities.