The Albanese government has pledged $236 million in 10 years to establish a national flood-warning network to help improve the reliability of flood data, forecasts and warnings.
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The funding will be used to purchase and upgrade flood gauges that are currently owned by local, state and territory governments in flood-prone areas.
In many cases these are run down and poorly maintained, or are broken and do not operate at all.
Work will be prioritised in Queensland which Australia's most disaster-prone state, based upon the advice of the Bureau of Meteorology.
The Queensland government has also made a prior commitment to share the cost of operating the flood-gauge network.
States and territories will be asked to enter a cost-sharing arrangement to roll out the upgrades in high priority catchment upgrades.
Minister for the Environment Tanya Plibersek said reliable flood warnings will help Australians prepare for moments of extreme weather.
"It will keep people safer as they happen. And being better prepared will, when the water recedes, help reduce the financial impact of flooding on families and businesses," Ms Plibersek said.
The funding comes after local and state governments have been calling for a national system to address critical and long-standing failures Australia's flood gauge network.
Australia's flood warning systems are being managed by a confusing network of more than 100 authorities and third parties, and in some cases data is not getting to the Bureau of Meteorology.
Multiple independent inquiries in the wake of the devastating 2022 floods have identified several examples of communities being unaware and unprepared for serious flooding because of broken or outdated gauges.
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Many of the recommendations handed down from these inquiries have been calling on the federal government to consolidate, upgrade and assume responsibility for maintaining the flood network.
"Severe weather events, including floods, are becoming more extreme and more frequent. The people of Queensland and Northern NSW especially know that from recent tragic experience," Ms Plibersek said.
"The people of Queensland and Northern NSW especially know that from recent tragic experience. When these events occur, people need access to the best available information, in real time."
