The Commonwealth and Queensland Governments have established a joint fund to strengthen key infrastructure against natural disasters.
Federal Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience, Bridget McKenzie said the betterment fund marked a major change in how Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) were delivered in Queensland.
“The fund will be available in 47 Local Government areas impacted in the 2020-21 disaster season,” Senator McKenzie said.
“Last season, Queensland communities were hit by 11 natural disaster events, including bushfires, hailstorms, cyclones and flooding,” she said.
“Nine of these disasters resulted in damage to essential public assets.”
Senator McKenzie said the funding would allow applicable Councils and State Agencies to improve key assets such as causeways, culverts, roads, bridges and floodways.
Deputy Premier and State Minister responsible for the Queensland Reconstruction Authority, Steven Miles said Queensland led the nation in building resilience in its communities through betterment programs.
“Queensland has been impacted by close to 90 disasters in the past decade, but Queenslanders are rightly renowned for our ability to respond and recover from natural disasters,” Mr Miles said.
“Since 2013, the Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA) has administered four betterment programs jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments,” he said.
Mr Miles said funding would be administered by the QRA and eligible Local Councils and State Agencies were requested to apply for betterment funding along with their restoration funding submissions.
