National Recovery and Resilience Agency

National Recovery and Resilience Agency
Agency overview
Formed5 May 2021 (2021-05-05)
Preceding agencies
  • National Bushfire Recovery Agency
  • National Drought and North Queensland Flood Response and Recovery Agency
Dissolved1 September 2022 (2022-09-01)
Superseding Agency
JurisdictionAustralia
Minister responsible
Agency executive
Parent departmentDepartment of Home Affairs
Websiterecovery.gov.au

The National Recovery and Resilience Agency (NRRA) was an Australian government executive agency to help those affected by natural disasters, including droughts, bushfires, and floods. It was an agency of the Department of Home Affairs from 1 July 2022 until it was replaced by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in September 2022.[1][2][3] Before this, it was an agency of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.[4]

The agency was formed on 5 May 2021 from the merger of the National Bushfire Recovery Agency and the National Drought and North Queensland Flood Response and Recovery Agency, in response to the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements.[4][5] On 1 July 2021, transition into the new agency was complete with the incorporation of disaster risk reduction and recovery functions from the Department of Home Affairs, and rural financial counseling program from the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.

The agency was led by its sole Coordinator-General, Shane Stone AC, QC, who was also previously head of the National Drought and North Queensland Flood Response and Recovery Agency and its predecessor North Queensland Livestock Industry Recovery Agency. The Minister for Emergency Management, currently Murray Watt, holds ministerial responsibility for the agency.[4] In July 2022, the Albanese government announced that it would recommend the Governor-General to merge the agency and Emergency Management Australia on 1 September 2022 to form a new agency, which would later be known as National Emergency Management Agency.[6] Following the announcement, Stone took leave and left the agency on 31 August.[7] The Chief Operating Officer for the Department of Home Affairs, Justine Saunders APM, was the acting Coordinator-General until the new agency was formed.

  1. ^ "Administrative Arrangements Order made on 23 June 2022" (PDF). Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 23 June 2022.
  2. ^ "Administrative Arrangements Order made on 1 June 2022" (PDF). Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 1 June 2022. p. 49,50.
  3. ^ "Albanese government restores abolished environment department but avoids major public service overhaul". ABC News. 2 June 2022.
  4. ^ a b c "Annual Report 2020-21" (PDF). National Recovery and Resilience Agency. October 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  5. ^ "Launch of National Recovery and Resilience Agency". National Recovery and Resilience Agency. 5 May 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  6. ^ "Australia's Key Disaster Agencies Now Even Closer". Ministers for the Department of Home Affairs. 1 July 2022.
  7. ^ "Recovery head steps down amid overhaul". 7News. 1 July 2022.