General News
19 February, 2025
North West councils receive $45m for local projects
The cash splash was made by the federal government last week after five years of negotiations.
After five years of backroom negotiations across the political divide, North West councils have successfully secured $45 million from the federal government.
The money will be used to fund a raft of natural disaster resilience projects that could set a precedent for how similar schemes are delivered in the future.
North West Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils (NWQROC) executive director Greg Hoffman said the effort to secure $45 million for 10 projects across the North West, which were announced by the Albanese government last week, had demonstrated that local government was most effective when lobbying as a united force.
He said NWQROC first lobbied the then-Morrison government to redirect unused grazier recovery grants during the 2019 floods towards much-needed local government infrastructure projects.
Re-titled the North Queensland Resilience Program, Mr Hoffman said councils then lobbied the current government to evenly allocate the funds to affected councils, rather than force them to fight for it.
Mr Hoffman said sidestepping the usual competitive proposal process allowed councils to work together for the strategic betterment of the North West.
“We were able to avoid the usual mad scramble in a competitive bid process where everyone quickly writes their funding applications and anyone who still has a need but didn’t write the best proposal misses out entirely,” he told North West Weekly.
“We wanted instead for the money to be put on the table and then we could have a conversation about how we could best split it up so it helps the wider area.
“Despite individual councils being responsible for delivering the projects, all NWQROC members agreed to support each project.
“It shows that we can be smarter in how we work with state and federal government to develop a sensible approach to major project funding that ensures we make the best use of public money.”
From airstrip upgrades to seawalls and all-weather roads, the Albanese government released the list of approved projects on Friday as an election-eve sweetener.
NORTH WEST FUNDING SPLIT
Burke Shire Council
$3.5m for Floraville Road culvert upgrades
$500,000 to examine upgrades for the Branch Creek crossing
$465,000 to raise Airport Road and upgrade drainage
Carpentaria Shire Council
$4.547m for Karumba Foreshore Protection Project
Cloncurry Shire Council
$4.547m for Cloncurry Airport Renewal and Upgrade Project
Doomadgee Aboriginal Shire Council
$2.2m for Homeland all-weather road access
$1.147m for waste management upgrade
$600,000 for footpath/shared cycleway
$600,000 for kerb and channel program
Etheridge Shire Council
$2m for combined SES Operations and Training Centre
$2m for construction of housing for independent living
$450,000 for replacement of fence at Mount Surprise airstrip
$50,000 for backup power source to critical water infrastructure
$47,830 for upgrading water assets
Flinders Shire Council
$4.547m to expand Hughenden Landfill
McKinlay Shire Council
$3m to upgrade existing road to Etta Plains
$1.547m to improve the resilience of the Julia Creek Aerodrome
Mount Isa City Council
$1.6m for Leichhardt River clean-up project
$1.11m for culvert, stormwater and drainage repair
$400,000 to install kitchen at Buchanan Park Evacuation Centre
$400,000 for digital warning signage
$300,000 for Camooweal Airstrip apron
$200,000 for stormwater repair and replacement
$150,000 to upgrade the Camooweal Stockyard
$150,000 to upgrade the Mount Isa Stockyard
$100,000 for LIDAR survey and flood modelling
$90,000 for generators for Civic Centre and Buchanan Park
$10,000 for Get Ready Queensland
Richmond Shire Council
$4.547m to upgrade the airstrip at Richmond Airport
Boulia Shire Council (RAPAD region)
$4.328m for upgrades in the Hamilton Channels floodways
$200,000 for flood warning signs on the Donohue Highway
Mornington Shire (TCICA region)
$4.297m to reinforce barge landing area
$250,000 for upgrades to the Mornington Island cyclone shelter