Australia needs to put its money where its mouth is when it comes to foreign aid, a major review has found.
Australian Council for International Development chief executive Marc Purcell responded to an Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development report, saying Australia's international partners were calling on the government to do more.
"Australia wants the benefits of being part of the club, but isn't willing to chip-in when the clubhouse roof starts leaking," Mr Purcell said on Tuesday in response to the five-year review.
"After successive cuts, now is the time to rebuild and reinvest in Australia's aid program."
Mr Purcell said Australia has no aid volume trajectory and desperately needs a vision for its aid program going forward, in the face of "short-sighted" cuts.
The review commended Australia's global engagement on development and focus on fragile Pacific states and disaster risk reduction.
It highlighted the introduction of a "performance-based framework" for aid in 2014 and the integration of aid agency AusAID with DFAT in 2013.
These changes have encouraged innovation and a development-friendly outlook on trade, the review found.
But the bottom line was that Australia needs to boost its official development assistance.
Projections indicate levels of Australian assistance could drop to "an all-time low" of 0.22 per cent of gross national income in 2017/18.
OECD Development Assistance Committee chair Charlotte Petri Gornitzka said Australia used its voice on the global stage to advocate for developing states.
"At the same time the decline in aid flows, despite steady economic growth, has affected the scope of development and humanitarian programs," she said.
"We encourage Australia to find a way to reverse this trend."
Frances Adamson, Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said the government did not support reaching a time-bound target for aid.
"DFAT constantly seeks to maximise the effectiveness of Australia's aid program, and ensure that it provides the government, and taxpayers, with good value for money," she said.
"In the weeks ahead, we will consider all the recommendations coming out of the review."
The OECD Development Assistance Committee reviews the programs and policies of members every five years.
It pays particular attention to poverty reduction, sustainability and gender equality.
The biggest recipients of Australian assistance include Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and the Solomon Islands.
