General News
5 June, 2024
Funding for Outback councils impacted by flooding
The money has been welcomed by councils in the North West.
Outback Queensland councils impacted by heavy rains and flooding earlier in the year will receive funding for their response activities and ongoing recovery.
Activated through the joint state and federal Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), the support is available to the North West councils of Richmond and Flinders, as well as Balonne, Barcoo, Bulloo, Goondiwindi, Maranoa and Murweh.
Flinders Shire mayor Kate Peddle said flood recovery grants provided an essential revenue source for councils to maintain roads wearied by floods and wet weather events.
“As a standard for road funding, all of our western communities rely on road funding to be able to survive,” she told North West Weekly.
“Each year, we put in disaster recovery applications for all the weather events that have occurred on our roads and that is how we get maintenance and that’s how we keep our road crews going.
“We need to maintain as much work as possible for our work crews because that is quite literally the financial livelihood for our councils.”
Cr Peddle, who is just months into her first term as mayor of the Flinders Shire, said ratepayers in Hughenden and surrounds couldn’t afford to cover the costs of fixing roads damaged by weather events.
“In terms of any particular road funding for councils, whether that be for weather events or disaster management, we have open arms to any kind of funding that the government would give to keep our crews on the road and our staff employed,” she said.
Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt said the DRFA was there to support councils like Richmond and Flinders.
“Under our longstanding joint Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, the Albanese and Miles Governments are making sure these remote communities can recover as quickly as possible,” Senator Watt said.
“These funds will allow councils to recuperate the costs that come from protecting their residents, and to carry out all necessary repairs to their roads and other eligible assets.
“Queenslanders can have confidence that they are supported in the very toughest of times.”
Queensland Minister for Disaster Recovery Nikki Boyd said the regional councils were already doing it tough.
“This support comes at a crucial time for these councils, a number of which were also impacted by severe storms and flooding late last year,” she said.
“We want our local governments to be able to focus on their recovery without worrying where the funds will be coming from.”