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

Information about past Royal Commissions, including the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements, can be found on the Royal Commissions website.

About the Royal Commission

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 Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin AC (Retd), the Honourable Dr Annabelle Bennett AC SC and Professor Andrew Macintosh as Royal Commissioners.

The Commission has drawn information from a variety of sources, including public submissions and hearings informing the Commission’s report and recommendations for mitigating and responding to, future natural disasters.

The Royal Commission delivered its final report to the Governor-General, His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) on Wednesday 28 October 2020.

Read about the Royal Commission in Plain English

Commissioners

Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin AC (Retd)

Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin AC (Retd) is a leader in the national security, defence and aerospace sectors. His distinguished military career culminated in his appointment as Chief of the Defence Force of Australia from 2014-2018.
Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin AC (Retired)

The Honourable Dr Annabelle Bennett AC SC

The Honourable Dr Annabelle Bennett AC SC was formally elected as Bond University's 8th Chancellor in 2016 following a distinguished career in the law which saw her serve 13 years as a Judge of the Federal Court of Australia.
The Honourable Dr Annabelle Bennett

Professor Andrew Macintosh

Professor Andrew Macintosh is an environmental law and policy expert at The Australian National University (ANU). He is one of Australia’s preeminent experts on climate policy and carbon markets, particularly in relation to land use, land-use change and forestry, agriculture and waste.
Professor Andrew Macintosh