The boss of Queensland's disaster recovery agency will now head the newly created national counterpart.
Brendan Moon has been named as the nation's first coordinator-general to oversee the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
The body was created following a merger of Emergency Management Australia and the National Recovery and Resilience Agency.
Mr Moon joins the agency after having led the Queensland Reconstruction Authority since 2016.
"Queensland has had more than its fair share of natural disasters in the past decade and the way in which the QRA, under Brendan's leadership, has responded and rebuilt has been very impressive," federal Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt said on Sunday.
"Brendan will ensure the new NEMA delivers national leadership and strategic coordination for emergencies and disaster preparedness, response, relief, recovery, reconstruction, risk reduction and resilience across all levels of government and sectors."
Senator Watt said the agency was working to prepare the country for the high-risk weather season being forecast by the Bureau of Meteorology.
"Right now, officers from the National Emergency Management Agency are rolling up their sleeves and getting on with the job," he said.
The forecast for the next three months showed the country moving into a high-risk weather season with flooding as the major risk, over bushfires or heatwaves, according to the weather bureau.
Severe storms, intense rainfall, and giant hail are expected to hit the eastern states, with bushfires to impact the northern part of Australia.
