September 2015
Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements
Guideline 2
Counter disaster operations
Extraordinary costs beyond state and local government resources
1.
2.
Counter disaster operations assistance under the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements
Determination 2012 Version 2 (‘the determination’) is not intended to cover a broad range of
response-type activities that are otherwise the constitutional responsibility of states. States should only
seek to claim costs associated with extraordinary counter disaster operations.
In accordance with Part 1 of the determination, 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 an eligible disaster is beyond the capacity of a state
and/or local government(s) to adequately respond e.g. a major state-wide disaster
3.
4.
 where the cumulative impact of frequent eligible disasters is beyond the capacity of a state and/or
local government(s) to adequately respond e.g. an extended bushfire season.
In accordance with emergency management responsibilities, state and local governments are required to
ensure that they are prepared for and able to respond to 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.
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
determination to assist state and local governments to facilitate certain counter disaster operations
activities.
Eligible counter disaster operations activities/costs
5.
6.
Counter disaster operations assistance under the determination is intended to fund only a limited
number/type of activities that are intended to reduce personal hardship and distress and result in a
reduced the provision of Category A assistance.
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
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 cleaning and refilling residential potable water and septic tanks to ensure that residential properties
are safe and habitable.
7.
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
 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.
8.
Attachment A provides examples of activities and costs that should be claimed against different clauses
under the determination.
Audit and acquittal requirements
9.
In order to claim costs associated with counter disaster operations activities under the determination,
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.
10. States and local government must be able to demonstrate that the extraordinary counter disaster
operation undertaken was intended to reduce the provision of Category A assistance.
11. To facilitate audit and acquittal requirements under the determination, it is the responsibility of the state
or local government to clearly differentiate eligible and ineligible costs under the determination (and
therefore covered within the states or local governments’ resource capacity).
12. 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 using the
Eligibility Enquiry Form before seeking to claim reimbursement under the determination.
Aaron Verlin, Assistant Secretary
Attorney-General’s Department
E-mail: recovery@ag.gov.au
First date of issue: 1 October 2014
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ATTACHMENT A
Reclassification of counter disaster operation activities
The following table provides examples of activities and costs from the counter disaster operations 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
5.2.1 (h)
Associated with an extraordinary evacuation
cost
5.2.1 (a)
Associated with evacuation/emergency
accommodation
5.2.1 (g)
Associated with personal and financial
counselling aimed at alleviating personal
hardship and distress
5.3.1 (a)
Associated with restoring an essential public
asset to its pre-disaster standard.
5.2.1 (h)
Associated with the provision of emergency
food
5.2.1 (a)/
5.2..1 (h)
Associated with the provision of emergency
temporary accommodation
5.2.1 (e)/
5.2.1 (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 i nformation.
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.
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