Advocating for practical and regionally appropriate disaster funding
Cr Barry Hughes, NWQROC Chair & Mayor, Etheridge Shire Council
North West Queensland is used to carrying more than its fair share of the load when it comes to natural disasters. What we can't carry is a bigger share of the bill.
That's the message that shaped our agenda as the North West Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils hosted a Disaster and Agriculture Roundtable in Julia Creek last week.
We sat down with Minister for Local Government and Water and Minister for Fire, Disaster Recovery and Volunteers Ann Leahy, Minister for Primary Industries Tony Perrett, Queensland Reconstruction Authority CEO Major General Jake Ellwood (Retd) and Peter Donaghy from the Department of Primary Industries, to talk disaster management and agriculture.
It was an opportunity to speak plainly about what our communities are facing after another difficult wet season, and what proposed changes to the Federal Government’s disaster funding model could mean for our region.
In all seasons our councils manage vast road networks across some of the most isolated country in Australia. Those roads connect communities, cattle properties, mines, schools, health services and supply chains. When they are damaged, the impact reaches well beyond our region flowing on to the national economy and global supply chains and production.
Disaster recovery investment allows councils to restore the roads and infrastructure our multi-billion dollar resources and agriculture industries depend on, while betterment funding gives us a chance to rebuild damaged assets so they are more resilient next time.
That is why the proposal to reduce the Federal Government’s contribution from 75 per cent to 50 per cent is so concerning.
It would leave a 15 per cent gap in Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements investment that councils would be expected to find elsewhere.
To put that in real terms: applied to Croydon Shire's 2024-25 disaster recovery program following Cyclone Kirrily, that shift would have resulted in a shortfall of around $6.6 million. With around 300 rateable properties, that leaves a $22,000 per rateable property just to cover the gap.
For our Aboriginal shires, which have no traditional rate base, the position is even harder. A funding shortfall could mean redirecting money from already stretched budgets, delaying recovery works, or missing the opportunity to build damaged infrastructure back stronger or at all.
On the ground, that means roads remain damaged longer, communities stay isolated, freight costs rise and businesses lose income.
The proposed reforms also come after the Federal Government’s disappointing decision to not support a Restocking Grant Program following this year’s flooding.
Producers who lost cattle are not only dealing with the immediate loss of livestock. They face reduced income, damaged fencing and infrastructure, higher operating costs and a long road back to normal production. The effects flow through transport operators, contractors, suppliers, local businesses and entire communities.
At the Julia Creek round table, we appreciated the opportunity to raise these issues directly with the Queensland Government and discuss how stronger partnerships can support recovery, resilience and future growth.
In better news for our local industries, we welcomed Minister Perrett’s recent announcement of the Queensland Government’s commitment to opening new pathways for agricultural development in the North West through Primary Industries Prosper 2050.
There is real opportunity here, but growth depends on reliable roads, resilient infrastructure and communities that can recover quickly after disaster.
NWQROC is calling for disaster recovery funding arrangements that recognise the geography, exposure and limited financial capacity of remote councils, while maintaining the flexibility to restore infrastructure quickly and deliver betterment works that strengthen communities against future events.
We’ll continue advocating for practical and regionally appropriate disaster funding that supports recovery, resilience and the long-term productivity of North West Queensland.
Anything less is unrealistic, unworkable and unacceptable.
