Pat Conroy (Shortland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister for the Environment, in writing, on 2 December 2019:

In respect of the Australian Government Disaster and Climate Resilience Reference Group:(1) Which departments or agencies are members of the group.(2) Which officials represent those departments or agencies.(3) When was the group established.(4) What are the responsibilities of the group.(5) Does the group have terms of reference.(6) How many times has the group met.(7) When and where does the group meet.(8) What reports has the groups published and are they publicly available.(9) Will the group produce reports in the future that will be publicly available.(10) What is the relationship of the group to the 'Secretaries Group on Climate Risk' referred to in the article, 'The country's top bureaucrats say Government unprepared for climate change' by Michael Slezak and Michael McKinnon (ABC News, 11 September 2019).

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:

1) Members of the Australian Government Disaster and Climate Resilience Reference Group (the Resilience Reference Group) include:

2) Participating departments or agencies are formally represented at the Deputy Secretary level.

3) The Resilience Reference Group was established in 2015.

4) The Resilience Reference Group is a coordinating group of senior officials which considers the risks and opportunities arising from climate change and natural disasters.

5) The Resilience Reference Group has Terms of Reference.

6) The Resilience Reference Group has met 12 times.

7) The Resilience Reference Group meets approximately on a quarterly basis. Meetings are held in Canberra, generally hosted by the Department of the Environment and Energy or the Department of Home Affairs.

8) The Resilience Reference Group has not published any reports.

9) The Resilience Reference Group currently does not have any plans to produce any reports.

10) The Resilience Reference Group supports the Secretaries Group on Climate Risk by progressing actions as directed by that Group.