Soaring temperatures and wind prompt fire warnings
Extreme fire danger warnings are in place on the east coast and Northern Territory due to high temperatures across Queensland and the NT and high winds in NSW.
emergency planning
Officials defend Flemington flood wall after disaster
A racing industry official has defended a wall built around Flemington Racecourse which locals believe worsened the impact of floods on surrounding homes.
Modelling behind flood warning failure, inquiry hears
The Victorian State Emergency Service boss has conceded poor modelling contributed to the lack of warning about major flooding along the Maribyrnong River.
Key players to front flood inquiry on racecourse wall
Melbourne Water and the Victoria Racing Club are set to face questions about the Flemington Racecourse wall as part of an inquiry into the 2022 flood disaster.
Fed govt invests in new deployable disaster shelters
Australia will soon have a national stockpile of emergency shelters that can be deployed anywhere in the country when floods, fires and other disasters strike.
Bushfire preparedness top of mind as spring blazes burn
The federal government will hold its first National Bushfire Preparedness Summit against the backdrop of the season's first fires.
Australia over-reliant on defence in bushfire season
The federal government says the country must move away from its reliance on defence force personnel to deal with emergencies during the bushfire season.
Possible ‘compounding and cascading’ disasters looming
Australia should prepare for potential cyclones, floods and heatwaves as well as bushfires in the coming months, an emergency management expert has warned.
Floods, cyclones, bushfires: summer shocker on cards
Bushfires and heatwaves are only some of the natural disasters Australia should prepare for in coming months, an emergency management expert has warned.
Queensland braces for bushfires as season starts early
With Queensland already battling an early start to bushfire season and a heatwave creeping north, the state's authorities are confident they are prepared.
Vic on alert for high-risk bushfire season after floods
As regional communities continue to pick up the pieces from devastating floods, Victoria will lurch back into a high-risk bushfire season this spring.
K9 rescue squad a bunch of very good boys and girls
Every weekend, a band of dedicated owners and their beloved pets put their game faces on and train to save lives in the face of disaster. And they love it.
ACT, Volvo reveal Australia’s first electric fire truck
Quiet and thoroughly modern, the first electric fire and rescue truck in the country - one of several on order for the ACT - has been unveiled in Brisbane.
Discarded batteries pose risk in looming fire season
Authorities are keeping tabs on risks posed by lithium-ion batteries as Australia braces for its worst bushfire season since the Black Summer blazes.
Mock quake to test for cracks in emergency response
Australian and international crews will test their response to a major disaster when they stage a hypothetical earthquake in central Brisbane.
Firefighters’ compo laws expanded to include 20 cancers
Western Australia's government has announced presumptive laws will be expanded to allow firefighters to be compensated if they develop eight additional cancers.
AI uses phone photos to help monitor bushfire threats
A citizen science project hopes to use artificial intelligence in combating, predicting and monitoring bushfires across Australia
Windy conditions fuel rapidly moving fire in rural Qld
Warnings for a fast moving fire in rural Queensland have been downgraded after firefighters were able to divert it from properties.
Feds to ease the flood of trauma after disaster strikes
The federal government is launching a new framework to cut red tape and help traumatised disaster survivors access long-term mental health care .
Flood warning network launches in disaster-prone Qld
The federal government will spend $236 million in the next decade to set up a national network of flood gauges to protect at-risk communities.
Text-for-help satellite service to launch in Australia
Injured or lost hikers will be able to contact emergency services and their loved ones even when off the grid using a new satellite service.
New head appointed at disaster recovery agency
The Queensland government has appointed a familiar face to lead the state's disaster recovery agency following the departure of chief executive Brendan Moon.
International delegates hear how Australia manages fire
Delegates from around the world have heard from Indigenous Australians on traditional fire management practices at a forum in Darwin.
What Australia learned from recent devastating floods – and how New Zealand can apply those lessons now
Perhaps the key lesson for New Zealand, and also Australia, is the need to think beyond emergency management to building long-term resilience within agencies and communities.
Ambulance call answer times stretch out in Victoria
More than one in three calls for an ambulance in Victoria last financial year were not answered within 10 seconds, new Australia-wide data shows.
Bid to cut rising insurance costs in disaster-hit areas
Insurers have met the federal government to come up with a plan to help households with rising premiums and better prepare communities for natural disasters.
Cyber issue hits Victorian fire service
Hackers could be behind a massive "cyber issue" impacting Fire Rescue Victoria but authorities say it hasn't affected trucks or firefighting crews.
Fire Rescue Victoria confirms cyber attack
Cyber criminals have attacked systems of Fire Rescue Victoria but the agency insists public safety has not been compromised.
More firefighters part of Qld restructure
The Queensland government will spend $400 million on extra firefighters and equipment upgrades by 2026 as part of a major emergency services restructure.
Premier tours flooded NSW regions
Flood warnings and evacuations stretch "from one end of NSW to the other" as Premier Dominic Perrottet begins visiting affected communities.
Southern Queensland cops latest soaking
A major flood warning is current for southeast Queensland's Macintyre River, which is expected to peak at up to 9.9 metres at Goondiwindi.