Australia is one of the most disaster-prone nations on earth — subject to bushfire, flood, drought, cyclone, earthquake, and heatwave. The 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires, the 2022 Queensland and NSW floods, and recurring extreme weather events have demonstrated that Australia's disaster risk is growing with climate change. Community preparedness and resilience are critical — disasters always hit hardest in communities that were least prepared. Grant funding supports community disaster preparedness, emergency planning, volunteer training, and the programmes that help vulnerable people stay safe when disaster strikes.
Australia's hazard profile
The 2019-20 Black Summer
2022 SE Queensland and NSW Floods
Climate change and escalating risk
Emergency Management Australia (NEMA)
National coordination of disaster preparedness and response.
Disaster Ready Fund
$200 million per year — largest Commonwealth investment in disaster risk reduction.
State Emergency Service (SES)
State-funded volunteer emergency services.
Country Fire Authority (CFA) and state fire services
Fire preparedness and volunteer support.
Local government
Community emergency management plans, local resilience.
Australian Red Cross
Community preparedness and recovery:
- Community education programmes
- Emergency goods distribution
- Reconnect programme (finding family after disasters)
The Salvation Army
Emergency relief and disaster response.
Lord Mayor's Charitable Fund
Community resilience programmes.
Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR)
Rural disaster resilience grants.
The Minderoo Foundation
Disaster risk reduction research.
Various state community foundations
Post-disaster recovery and preparedness grants.
Community resilience planning
Vulnerable people preparedness
Volunteer training and support
Indigenous community preparedness
Warning systems and communication
Post-disaster recovery support
Infrastructure and housing resilience
Business continuity and community economy
Research and evaluation
Disasters are not equally distributed in their impact:
- Older Australians: evacuation challenges, health risk during heatwaves, less able to self-protect
- People with disability: evacuation and shelter challenges
- Low-income households: less able to afford preparedness (generators, retrofitting)
- Renters: limited ability to adapt their housing
- Communities with low social capital: less able to support each other
Grant funding specifically for vulnerable populations in disaster preparedness is addressing a genuine equity gap — disasters should not discriminate, but they do.
Community-led
The most resilient communities are those that have invested in social connection and local capacity — not those that depend entirely on government emergency services. Applications that build community-led preparedness are more sustainable.
Vulnerable populations
Generic preparedness programmes miss the people who need help most. Applications specifically targeting older adults, people with disability, or social isolated individuals — who are most at risk in disasters — address the equity dimension.
Integrated recovery
Preparedness and recovery are linked — communities that prepared well recover better. Applications that link preparedness planning with post-disaster recovery planning are more comprehensive.
Climate-proofed plans
Given the escalating nature of disaster risk with climate change, preparedness plans must account for more intense and frequent events. Applications that integrate climate change projections into disaster preparedness are more forward-looking.
Tahua's grants management platform supports disaster preparedness funders and community resilience organisations — with preparedness programme tracking, community reach data, vulnerability assessment measurement, and the reporting tools that help disaster preparedness funders demonstrate their investment in resilient Australian communities.