This presentation will cover the ability of the private sector to supplement the public sector (Commonwealth, state and local governments, and government emergency services) and community sectors during domestic disaster and emergency response. Drawing on existing conceptualisations of public-private partnerships (or ‘public-private-people partnerships’) in disaster and emergency management, this presentation will focus on the response and early recovery phase of disaster management. It will highlight why there is a growing need to draw on the private sector in light of the increasing occurrence and severity of natural hazards, the 2023 Defence Strategic Review which emphasises the need to use Australian Defence Force assets as a last resort for domestic disaster response, and the need for a whole-of-nation approach to disaster response to optimise post-disaster recovery.

The presentation will include international and domestic examples, learnings, and opportunities regarding private sector contributions to disaster and emergency response, including the Queensland floods experience in 2010-11, to reflect how involving the private sector can contribute to better outcomes for community and public sectors. These examples will be used to demonstrate how private sector involvement spans strategic to tactical activities, and how their involvement may address many of the barriers or issues currently face during disaster response.

The presentation will draw on research and operational examples to present key points as follows:
• private sector involvement in domestic emergency and disaster response alleviates the burden on other sectors and capabilities,
• cross-sector partnerships overcome existing response barriers, and
• the private sector contributes to innovative partnership practices for multi-jurisdictional responses and concurrent
responses (such as a pandemic overlayed with natural
hazard)
• private sector contribution to disaster and emergency responses are an integral part of broader disaster management