DRFA case study: Croydon Shire Council
Clara River Crossing, Richmond Road
The Federal Government’s proposed 50:50 disaster recovery funding split would shift more cost and risk onto remote councils like Croydon Shire - councils that are already managing vast road networks, repeated severe weather events and limited local revenue.
For Croydon Shire Council, the Clara River Crossing on Richmond Road shows exactly why flexible, practical DRFA funding matters.
The crossing is a 300-metre floodway on Richmond Road, an essential transport link connecting Richmond Shire to Croydon and surrounding North West Queensland communities. Following Tropical Cyclone Kirrily and associated rainfall and flooding in early 2024, the crossing was severely damaged, resulting in loss of access and major impacts for local communities, freight movement and regional economies.
Through the 2025 DRFA program, Croydon Shire Council secured funding to repair the crossing and deliver a value-for-money outcome that will provide a stronger level of service and improved resilience against future flood events.
This is not simply a road repair. It is about restoring safe access along Richmond Road, keeping essential goods and services moving between communities, supporting local and regional economies, and reducing the risk of repeated damage during future wet seasons.
Under a 50:50 funding model, projects like this become harder to deliver.
If Council had faced this kind of funding shortfall, the repair solution may have been reduced in scope, placing communities at greater risk during the next wet season and exposing the site to recurring damage and repeat expenditure.
Disaster event: Tropical Cyclone Kirrily and associated rainfall and flooding
DRFA delivered: safe access, stronger flood resilience, protection for an essential regional transport route, and a repair outcome beyond what Council could have delivered alone.
What’s at risk: reduced repair scopes, repeat damage, higher long-term costs, and greater disruption to communities and economies that rely on Richmond Road.
Clara River Crossing damage
Completion site 1
