Prime responsibility for the protection of life, property and the environment rests with the States and Territories.  However, the Australian Government is committed to supporting States and Territories in developing their capacity for dealing with emergencies and disasters, and provides physical assistance to requesting States or Territories when they cannot reasonably cope during an emergency. Under the  Constitution, the Australian Government is allocated responsibility for external affairs matters including the provision of humanitarian assistance for emergency and refugee relief overseas. The Australian Government, through EMA, supports a comprehensive approach to emergency management.  EMA pursues a cooperative and collaborative relationship with Australian Government agencies such as the Department of Finance and Administration,  Geoscience Australia and the Bureau of Meteorology. In doing so, EMA seeks to encourage an "all agencies", "all hazards" approach to the prevention or mitigation of disasters, preparedness for their impact, response to that impact and recovery from the consequences.