National Natural Disaster Arrangements

The Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements was established on 20 February 2020 in response to the extreme bushfire season of 2019-20 which resulted in loss of life, property and wildlife and environmental destruction.

Sometimes referred to as the ‘Bushfires Royal Commission’, the Commission examined coordination, preparedness for, response to and recovery from disasters as well as improving resilience and adapting to changing climatic conditions and mitigating the impact of natural disasters. The inquiry also considered the legal framework for Commonwealth involvement in responding to national emergencies.

The Letters Patent for the Royal Commission set out the terms of reference and formally appointed the Royal Commissioners. All states issued Letters Patent or their equivalent, Instruments of Appointment, to appoint the Commissioners to conduct an inquiry into the matters above.

A historical record of the website is available on the National Library of Australia's Trove Web Archive.