We were recently invited to provide evidence at the public hearing held in Taree by the NSW Joint Select Committee exploring the response by the NSW Reconstruction Authority to the NSW East Coast severe weather from May 2025.  

Along with MidCoast Council General Manager Adrian Panuccio, Hunter JO staff provided further evidence and detail on the Hunter JO regional submission and council case studies provided to the Inquiry, focusing on:   

• Inconsistencies experienced by Councils in the response to disaster events and hazard types across Local Government Areas.  
• Significant ongoing challenges from current grant and funding systems, which makes councils reliant on short-term, competitive grant programs to deliver core disaster preparedness and adaptation initiatives  
• Restrictions on claiming DRFA funding, including for critical assets such as water and sewage infrastructure and for betterment works during the emergency works phase 
• The need for greater collaboration and co-design when designing and delivering responses to support community recovery (and preparedness).

Visit our website for more information on how we support our member councils to adapt and build disaster resilience