A former federal emergency services minister says Australia needs to boost what he calls its shamefully inadequate emergency services funding and set up a national body to oversee disaster management.
Robert McClelland says more attention should be given to preventing poor planning decisions before they lead to unnecessary damage and the loss of life.
In a chapter of a book, Next Generation Disaster and Security Management, Mr McClelland says Australia should consider having a similar organisation to the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency.
He says once a dedicated agency is set up to focus on all aspects of emergency prevention, preparation, response and recovery, it would have to push for enough funds for national emergency management capability.
