16 July 2026
Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) reforms
The Australian Government is currently consulting with states, territories and local government on proposed changes to the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
Under the proposed reforms, the existing DRFA would be replaced by a new Disaster Recovery Funding Framework (DRFF), with changes covering a range of areas including
- Disaster funding activation thresholds
- Recovery assistance categories
- Resilient infrastructure and betterment funding
- Audit, assurance and reporting requirements
- Future disaster risk reduction funding.
LGNSW is preparing a submission on behalf of councils and we are keen to hear directly from members to help shape our advocacy.
To support this process, we have developed a short survey focusing on the key reform areas.
We particularly encourage feedback from councils with experience in disaster response and recovery, infrastructure restoration, and resilience planning.
I encourage councils to complete the survey by 7 August 2026 so your experiences and insights can help inform our submission.
A copy of the discussion paper is available to members who log in to the LGNSW member portal.
Sincerely,
Mayor Darcy Byrne
LGNSW President