Last month the Senate Select Committee on Australia’s Disaster Resilience published its report Boots on the ground: Raising resilience (https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Disaster_Resilience).
The Select Committee reported on the current preparedness, response and recovery workforce models, including the role of the Australian Defence Force and, among others, the civil and volunteer groups and state-based services in preparing for, responding to and recovering from natural disasters. It also considered other models for repurposing or adapting Australian civil and volunteer groups.
Recommendations of note were:
Funding be provided direct to local government to facilitate disaster recovery and resilience (Recommendation 3).
•  Legislate to provide leave from employment for volunteers (Recommendation 4).
•  Allow volunteers tax deductions for training and courses that are part of their emergency volunteering (Recommendation 5).
•  Australian Government provide a comprehensive resource centre for mental health resources, training and support for first responders (Recommendation 6)
•  Incentivise young Australians to participate in disaster response and recovery volunteer organisations (Recommendation 10).