About the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements
The Australian Government provides funding through the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA) to help pay for natural disaster relief and recovery costs.
The Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA) are based on the terms and conditions in the NDRRA Determination 2007. Emergency Management Australia (EMA) administers the NDRRA on behalf of the Australian Government. For more information go to the NDRRA Guidelines page.
A State or Territory may claim NDRRA funding if:
- a natural disaster occurs,
- State or Territory relief and recovery expenditure for that event exceeds $240,000
- the State or Territory notifies Emergency Management Australia of the event.
The amount of NDRRA reimbursement for natural disaster expenditure for each State and Territory is dependent on set thresholds. The thresholds are available on the NDRRA Guidelines page.
The NDRRA apply to the following natural disasters:
- Bushfire
- Earthquake
- Flood
- Storm
- Cyclone
- Storm surge
- Landslide
- Tsunami
- Meteorite strike
- Tornado
The NDRRA does not apply to:
- Drought
- Frost
- Heatwave
- Epidemic
- Disaster events resulting from:
- poor environmental planning
- commercial development
- personal intervention (other than arson).
The NDRRA should not be seen as a disincentive to plan, mitigate or allocate resources for natural disasters nor should it discourage individuals or businesses taking out insurance to protect their assets.
If you are a victim of a natural disaster event and need assistance, please contact your State or Territory emergency service. Contact information may be found at Australian Government Disaster Assist.
If you are from a State or Territory government and interested in finding out more about NDRRA funding, please view the NDRRA Guidelines page.

