Australian troops will continue to be used in response to devastating natural disasters despite a warning domestic recovery operations detracted from the military's primary goal of defending the nation.
The Albanese government approved the use of the Australian Defence Force to support authorities in planning and responding to ex-Cyclone Alfred.
Defence Minister Richard Marles said the government was working with the nation's emergency management agencies to structure future disaster responses.
"But in a given disaster right now, Defence will always be there to present and that is what has occurred," he told reporters in Canberra on Sunday.
"Yes, there is a conversation that ... we are having and we will continue to have going forward.
"We will continue to lean forward to make sure that all the capabilities are provided."
Mr Marles said defence force personnel who provided support in times of need were enormously proud and grateful for the opportunity.
The defence strategic review, released in 2023, warned against using the military as a domestic disaster recovery agency.
It found the increasing number of major climate events risked overwhelming the government's capacity to respond effectively, and detracted from "Defence's primary objective of defending Australia".
As the nation is hit with repeated extreme flooding and bushfires, the ADF has increasingly been called on by governments to provide the people and capabilities to help.
A parliamentary committee previously expressed alarm that more than half of all ADF members had been assigned to disaster relief in recent years.
