1. business and industrial
2. business operations

NATURAL DISASTER RELIEF AND RECOVERY ARRANGEMENTS
GUIDELINE 10
COUNTER DISASTER OPERATIONS
1.
Categories A and B of the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA) provides for
Commonwealth assistance to be made available to states and territories (states) for the costs
associated with the provision of extraordinary counter disaster operations activities of direct
assistance to an individual (clause 3.2.2 (f)) and for the protection of the general public (clause 3.3.1
(c)) which meet the requirements set out in clause 3.81.
2.
The NDRRA is primarily a relief and recovery financial assistance program and the eligibility of costs
associated with counter disaster operations activities should in no way influence state and local
government operational disaster response and recovery decisions.
Extraordinary costs beyond state and local government resources
3. Counter disaster operations assistance under the NDRRA is not intended to cover a broad range of
response type activities which are the constitutional responsibility of the states. States should only
seek to claim costs associated with extraordinary counter disaster operations under the NDRRA.
4.
In accordance with clause 3.8(b) extraordinary costs are defined as those that exceed what a state
could reasonably be expected to incur for these purposes for example:
• where the scale and severity of impact from a disaster is beyond the capacity of a state and/or
local government(s) to adequately respond e.g. a major state-wide disaster
• where the cumulative impact of frequent disasters is beyond the capacity of a state and/or local
government(s) to adequately respond e.g. an extended bushfire season.
4.
In accordance with emergency management responsibilities; state and local governments are
required to ensure that they are prepared for and able to respond to natural disasters, this includes
having a reasonable level of resources (human, capital and financial) to be able to undertake
response and recovery activities, including counter disaster operations.
5.
In the situation where the state and/or local government resources are unable to meet the
demands of responding to a disaster or disasters, the Commonwealth may provide financial
assistance under the NDRRA to assist state and local governments to facilitate certain counter
disaster operations activities.
Eligible counter disaster operations activities/costs
6. Counter disaster operations assistance under the NDRRA is intended to fund only a limited
number/type of activities which are intended to reduce personal hardship and distress and result in
less Category A assistance being required.
1
Clause 3.8: (a) the costs are associated with counter disaster operations carried out to protect communities and ensure public
health and safety in public urban areas; and (b) the costs exceed the costs that a state could reasonably have expected to incur
for these purposes; and (c) the operations carried out were intended to result in less Category A assistance being required.
NDDRA GUIDELINE 10
COUNTER DISASTER OPERATIONS
7.
Subject to the extraordinary nature of the event/s being demonstrated by the state, certain
activities may be considered eligible counter disaster operations. Examples of such extraordinary
activities include:
• activities to render damaged or threatened houses safe and habitable (such activities may
include tarping damaged roofs, tree bracing, and structural integrity assessments on residential
properties)
• sandbagging and construction of temporary levees to prevent inundation of residential
properties
• establishment of bushfire control lines to protect residential properties from threatening
bushfires
• establishment of temporary access routes required for disaster relief operations and to allow
individuals and families to return home
• cleaning and refilling residential potable water and septic tanks to ensure that residential
properties are safe and habitable.
8.
Some costs directly associated with undertaking an eligible counter disaster operation activity (as
per above) may also be eligible for reimbursement. Examples of such extraordinary costs include:
• non-capital expenses incurred whilst undertaking eligible counter disaster operations activities
including tarpaulins, ropes, chainsaw chains and fuel
• transportation of labour, equipment and materials to perform eligible counter disaster
operations
• hire of additional plant and equipment
• vehicle or equipment repairs and additional servicing required as a direct consequence of an
eligible counter disaster activity
• eligible staffing costs (refer to NDRRA Eligibility Advice – Salaries and Wages)
• restoring assets directly damaged during eligible counter disaster operation, for example
repairing fencing that was damaged when establishing bushfire containment lines
• cleaning-up debris which resulted from an eligible counter disaster operation activity.
9.
Attachment A provides examples of activities and costs which should be claimed against different
clauses under the NDRRA Determination 2012.
Audit and Acquittal Requirements
10. In order to claim costs associated with counter disaster operations activities under the NDRRA,
state and/or local governments must be able to prove the extraordinary nature of the costs and
that the state and/or local governments existing human, capital and financial resources are unable
to meet the demands of responding to a disaster or disasters.
11. States and local government must be able to demonstrate that the extraordinary counter disaster
operation undertaken was intended to reduce less Category A assistance being provided.
12. To facilitate audit and acquittal requirements under the NDRRA, it is the responsibility of the state
or local government to clearly differentiate NDRRA-eligible costs from costs which are not eligible
under the NDRRA (and therefore covered within the states or local governments’ resource
capacity).
NDDRA GUIDELINE 10
COUNTER DISASTER OPERATIONS
13. In the event of uncertainty or lack of clarity regarding the eligibility of a counter disaster operations
activity or cost the state should seek advice from the Attorney-General’s Department by utilising
the NDRRA Eligibility Enquiry Form before seeking to claim reimbursement under the NDRRA.
Aaron Verlin, Assistant Secretary
Attorney-General’s Department
Telephone: (02) 6141 4595
E-mail: recovery@ag.gov.au
First date of issue: 1 October 2014
NDDRA GUIDELINE 10
COUNTER DISASTER OPERATIONS
RECLASSIFICATION OF COUNTER DISASTER OPERATION ACTIVITIES
ATTACHMENT A
The following table provides examples of activities and costs from the CDO stocktake that may be categorised
against a different clause/measure under the NDRRA.
Activity identified as CDO
Evacuation and care of companion animals where residents
are required to evacuate
Pre-deployment of resources (staff and equipment) to
establish evacuation centres
Set-up and management of a facility used as an evacuation
centre, including costs associated with bedding, the provision
of basic medical needs and catering for evacuees
Evacuation of patients from hospitals and residents from
aged/high care facilities
Providing advice to residents regarding evacuation
Provision of financial counselling and psychological first aid to
disaster affected people
Removal of storm water from road surface
Clearing roads of debris (including green waste and damaged
trees)
Road sweeping
Small immediate repairs to allow roads to be used
Extraordinary costs of emergency food or essential supply
drops to affected communities
Preparation and management of temporary relocatable
accommodation of disaster displaced people
Assessments of temporary housing needs
Establishment and decommissioning of temporary relocatable
accommodation for disaster displaced people
Transporting, erecting and manning of temporary relocatable
accommodation
Debris removal (including green waste) and clean-up costs
(including dump sites)
Removal of damaged and/or destroyed items from residential
properties
Clearing around the immediate vicinity of a residential
dwelling including the main access point
Removal of asbestos from disaster damaged residential
properties
Clearing and removal of debris to allow access to residential
homes
Establishment of temporary dumpsites to accommodate
debris removal from residential properties (includes
establishment, operation and decommissioning costs)
Removal and disposal of dead animals from the immediate
surroundings of a residential property
Recommended
clause(s)
Rationale
3.2.2 (h)
Associated with an extraordinary evacuation
cost
3.2.2 (h)
Associated with evacuation/emergency
accommodation
3.2.2 (g)
Associated with personal and financial
counselling aimed at alleviating personal
hardship and distress
3.3.1 (a)
Associated with restoring an essential public
asset to its pre-disaster standard.
3.2.2 (h)
Associated with the provision of emergency
food
3.2.2 (a)/
3.2.2 (h)
Associated with the provision of emergency
temporary accommodation
3.2.2 (e)/
3.2.2 (h)
Associated with the removal of debris from
residential properties to make them safe and
habitable
NOTE: This information is based on state input during the CDO stocktake and may be subject to change pending further information. Normal
administrative and operational expenditure, such as wages and salaries of regular employees undertaking eligible NDRRA activities whether
diverted from their normal work or otherwise, is not eligible for reimbursement.