Funding boost for disaster recovery in FNQ

Far North Queensland communities that have battled through floods, cyclones and bushfires over the past 12 months will receive more financial support for their recovery and resilience.

The Queensland Government will fund two packages totalling $14 million for flood risk management activities in key areas along the Bloomfield River, including Cook, Douglas and Wujal Wujal, and focused community and industry recovery for bushfire affected parts of the north.

Under the $7.73 million Far North Queensland Flood Risk Management Package, critical flood studies will be conducted in remote parts of the Bloomfield River catchment where unprecedented flood levels were recorded over the summer.

New data capture will ensure these studies are leveraging the most accurate information available and providing the clearest possible picture when it comes to disaster risk and how communities can prepare for future events.

The $6.27 million Northern Queensland Bushfires Package invests in mental health support, community health and wellbeing, agricultural industry recovery and resilience officers, and recovery grants for rural landholders.

Repeated, compounding and varied disaster events in the region, particularly across Cook, Tablelands and Mareeba, have weighed heavily on residents and revealed a need for extra and more personalised support to be provided.

An additional $500,000 will also fund more bushfire mitigation activities for southern Queensland areas that faced severe blazes between September and November 2023, with efforts focused on Western Downs in collaboration with council and landholders.

This is on top of the $18 million-plus in joint Commonwealth-state DRFA assistance that’s already been allocated to regions impacted by the Southern Queensland Bushfires.

Together, this $14.5 million funding boost builds on more than $247 million in exceptional circumstances DRFA packages that are currently helping impacted Queenslanders recover from the disasters of the past year.

These investments are being made by the Queensland Government using efficiencies realised under the joint Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

More information about disaster support packages and disaster recovery funding in Queensland is available on the QRA website.

This includes a breakdown of event specific exceptional circumstances disaster assistance packages.