Disaster Ready Fund

The Australian Government has established the Disaster Ready Fund (DRF), to help communities protect themselves against the impacts of natural hazards across Australia.

Dark clouds over landscape

On 7 September 2022, the Australian Government announced their flagship disaster resilience and risk reduction initiative, committing $1 billion to be made available nationally through the DRF over five years, from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2028.

The DRF provides investment in disaster mitigation across infrastructure and systemic disaster risk reduction projects, to address any, or multiple, natural hazards including extreme weather events and geological hazards.

Only Australian state and territory governments are eligible to apply to the DRF and the NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA) is the jurisdictional lead agency and ‘applicant’ on behalf of NSW.

Funding rounds

Program objectives

The DRF supports projects that:

  • increase the understanding of natural hazard impacts, as a first step towards reducing disaster impacts;
  • increase the resilience, adaptive capacity and/or preparedness of governments, community service organisations and affected communities to future natural disasters to minimise the potential impact of natural hazards and reduce the risk of future natural disasters, and
  • reduce the exposure to risk, harm and/or severity of a natural hazard’s impacts, including reducing the recovery burden for governments, cohorts at disproportionate risk, and/or affected communities.
Flooded farm

Disaster Ready Fund - Round 3

On 22 January 2025, the Australian Government released the DRF Round 3 Guidelines, with applications to be submitted to state and territory government lead agencies by 2 April 2025.

The NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA) is responsible for coordinating the NSW Application.

Read more
Expansive open plain in NSW with blue sky.

Funding rounds so far

Showing results 1 - 3 of 3 results
Disaster Ready Fund
Disaster Ready Fund - Round 3 - NSW Application
Up to $197,000,000
For: Business, Local Government, Not-for-profit
The Disaster Ready Fund Round 3 is open for applications from eligible applicants delivering disaster resilience and mitigation projects.
Status: Open | Closing 16th April 2025
Waratah logo
Disaster Ready Fund
Disaster Ready Fund - Round 1
Up to $200,000,000
For: Business, Local Government, Not-for-profit
The Australian Government has established a Disaster Ready Fund (DRF), to help communities protect themselves against the impacts of natural hazards across Australia.
Status: Closed
Waratah logo
Disaster Ready Fund
Disaster Ready Fund - Round 2 - NSW Application
Up to $200,000,000
For: Local Government, Not-for-profit
Eligible Applicants can express interest in being included in the NSW Application to the Commonwealth Government’s Disaster Ready Fund Round 2. Successful EOIs will be invited to complete a final proposal in early 2024.
Status: Closed
Waratah logo

Frequently asked questions

Round 1 FAQs

Round 2 FAQs

Round 3 FAQs

Get in touch

If you have any questions or would like to receive future correspondence regarding the DRF, please contact drfnsw@reconstruction.nsw.gov.au

Please note that the NSW DRF Team can only provide information that is publicly available. Further information and applicant guidance will be made available when the EOI has opened.

Top of page