The Arrangement for Interstate Assistance (AIA) is the primary arrangement for mutual assistance in emergency management activities being conducted by Australian and New Zealand agencies. It does not replace existing bi-lateral agreements that provide for everyday response operations by agencies across borders in support of their immediate neighbours. It caters for occasions when significant resource deployments are requested for response to large scale events.
The AIA is maintained by the AFAC National Resource Sharing Centre, which coordinates and facilitates international and interstate deployments through its established partnerships and national arrangements as authorised by the Commissioners and Chief Officers Strategic Committee (CCOSC).
The Commonwealth, through Emergency Management Australia (EMA), co-chairs CCOSC and is integral to this arrangement.