The proposal would provide $500 million over the medium term, to create a National Disaster Response Unit with rapid-deployment aircraft and crews to respond quickly to floods, fires and remote rescues, and assist with humanitarian disaster relief across the Asia-Pacific region.

Funding for this proposal would include an initial $375 million (in 2026-27) for capital costs and $50 million per year for the unit’s ongoing costs. The ongoing costs would be indexed to the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

The proposal would start from 1 July 2026.