AHHA is Australia’s national peak body for public hospitals and healthcare providers. Our membership includes state and territory health departments, Local Hospital Networks and public hospitals, community health services, Primary Health Networks and primary healthcare providers, aged care providers, universities, individual health professionals, and medical colleges and academics. As such, we are uniquely placed to be an independent, national voice for universal high-quality healthcare to benefit the whole community. AHHA represents numerous Australian healthcare services, support agencies, health peak bodies and major universities directly and indirectly impacted by the recent 2019-20 bushfire disaster across the country.
Whilst AHHA is supportive of the Commonwealth Government’s decision to examine the issues of
disaster preparedness, we question the practicality of a six-month Royal Commission timeframe. The
development of a cross jurisdictional, coordinated approach to the preparedness for, response to, resilience to, and recovery from natural disasters is vital. Sufficient consultation time must be provided to allow for the development of recommendations that promote and protect the future
health and wellbeing of all Australians.
