Order to Rename the National Drought and North Queensland Flood Response and Recovery Agency, Identify the Minister Responsible, and Specify Functions for the Renamed National Recovery and Resilience Agency

Overview

The Public Service Act 1999 was enacted to provide a framework for the administration of the Commonwealth public service and to support efficient, effective and economical public service delivery. This Act was introduced to address the need for a structured and coordinated approach to public service management and to ensure the public service meets the needs of the Australian community. The relevant legislature, the Parliament of Australia, established this framework to facilitate the operation of government and the delivery of public services. The policy objective of the Act is to promote a public service that is responsive, accountable, and capable of delivering high-quality services to the Australian public. The Act was amended in 2021 to rename the National Drought and North Queensland Flood Response and Recovery Agency to the National Recovery and Resilience Agency, identify the Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management as the responsible minister, and specify the functions of the Agency, focusing on disaster relief and recovery coordination, disaster relief, recovery, risk reduction, and preparedness policy and funding, rural financial counselling, and drought recovery and resilience outreach.

Scope and Application

The Public Service Act 1999, under the authority of the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, has been amended to rename the National Drought and North Queensland Flood Response and Recovery Agency to the National Recovery and Resilience Agency. This agency, now under the purview of the Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management, is tasked with a range of functions including the coordination of disaster relief and recovery, the provision of advice to the Minister and the Prime Minister on policy and program contributions to disaster recovery, and the administration of Commonwealth loan schemes for primary producers. The Act specifies that these functions will be implemented in close collaboration with all levels of government to improve national recovery coordination, and will commence on the date of Gazettal for certain functions and on 1 July 2021 for others. The legislation also outlines the agency's role in disaster relief, recovery, risk reduction, preparedness policy and funding, rural financial counselling, and drought recovery, with the broader aim of enhancing national resilience and preparedness across various sectors and communities.

Key Provisions

The key operative sections of the Order (C2021G00317) rename the National Drought and North Queensland Flood Response and Recovery Agency to the National Recovery and Resilience Agency, as per section (b). It also identifies the Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management as the responsible Minister, according to section (d). Most notably, section (e) outlines the functions of the renamed agency, which include disaster relief and recovery coordination, policy and funding leadership, rural financial counselling, and drought recovery outreach, among others. The Order imposes several obligations on the National Recovery and Resilience Agency. Firstly, it must coordinate and deliver relief and long-term recovery efforts for areas affected by various disasters, as specified in section (e)i. It is also responsible for providing advice to the Minister and, where necessary, the Prime Minister, on how existing and new Commonwealth policies and programs can contribute to disaster relief and recovery, as stated in section (e)ii. Additionally, the agency is tasked with administering the Commonwealth loan scheme to assist eligible primary producers, as mentioned in section (e)iv. Furthermore, it is responsible for leading national implementation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework, developing national disaster recovery policy, and designing and administering disaster resilience, risk reduction, and preparedness funding programs, as outlined in sections (e)viii to (e)xi. Failure to comply with the requirements and obligations outlined in the Order could result in civil or criminal consequences. However, the specific penalties for breach are not detailed in the Order. The Public Service Act 1999 may provide additional information on penalties for non-compliance, and it is advisable to consult the Act for further details. It is also important to note that the commencement dates for certain functions of the National Recovery and Resilience Agency are specified in the Order, with some functions commencing on the date of Gazettal, and others on 1 July 2021.