The State Budget has delivered on a call by the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) to provide funding to ensure Queensland communities are more resilient to cyclones, storms and flooding.
The LGAQ has welcomed news that the Community Resilience Fund (CRF) would be renewed for at least another year, with the State Government announcing $41 million for the program in the Budget yesterday, $10 million of which is new funding.
The CRF supports projects to strengthen local infrastructure vulnerable to natural disasters, creating jobs for communities in the process.
More than $46 million has also been committed to the Local Government Grants and Subsidies Program (LGGSP), which includes projects to protect communities and infrastructure from floods. This is a 20 per cent increase on the 2015-16 commitment.
LGAQ President Margaret de Wit said the fund was critical in councils’ ability to protect their assets against destructive weather events.
“Protection of community infrastructure is paramount and in Queensland, where cyclones, storms and floods cause billions of dollars’ worth of damage to public infrastructure, we need to ensure our assets are strong enough to cope,” she said.
The State Government has also provided increased funding of $9.9 million over two years under the Natural Disaster Resilience Program which councils can access.
The LGAQ, through its federal election policy plan, is calling on political parties contesting the July 2 federal election to provide greater certainty surrounding the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements and commit $40 million to a special natural disaster mitigation fund for Queensland.
“The State has done its part so now it’s up to the Federal Government to follow suit and commit to building the resilience of Queensland communities,” she said.
“This investment will save the Commonwealth in the long term through smart investment in mitigation projects.”
The Budget also commits to continuing the Local Government Hazard Adaptation Fund, along with $36 million over five years for the Rural Assistance Package, including climate risk mitigation grants.