Regional Mayors Call For Disaster Resilience Commitment

The Regional Queensland Council of Mayors (RQCOM) is seeking commitments for disaster recovery and mitigation support from the Commonwealth.

The call for a commitment comes after the Shadow Prime Minister Anthony Albanese alongside Senator Murray Watt and Labor Candidate for Dawson Shane Hamilton pledged $5M from a Labor federal government to improve Mackay’s disaster readiness by investing in a flood levee along the Pioneer River.

“Our announcement is about building a better Queensland, making a more resilient Queensland for the future,” Mr Albanese announced in Mackay last month.

The RQCOM is seeking a similar commitment from the LNP federal government and says there is a fund sitting there for this purpose which has not been utilised when communities have needed it most.

Mackay Mayor Greg Williamson, who is RQCOM Chair, said he looked forward to working with the Federal Government before the next disaster season to rebuild and mitigate against future damage.

“The National Recovery and Resilience Agency has a $4 billion disaster recovery and mitigation fund that is earning hundreds of millions of dollars in interest every year,” said Mayor Williamson.

“This fund has earnt $836 million in interest, which is supposed to be spent to fund emergency response and natural disaster recovery and preparedness,” he said.

“We want to see that money spent for the very purpose it is intended for.

“This is especially timely now, coming off the back of a disaster season that has seen damage across many of our member councils’ areas.

“We’re determined to see this money released and actually used for what it has been set aside to do, so we can get commitments for expenditure from this fund that will help people across regional Queensland rebuild their lives and prepare for next time.”

Mayor Williamson said that it had been like pulling teeth trying to get money out of the fund, which was earning a heap for the future when the need was right now.

“Despite being up and running for years, I’m not aware of one project that has been funded,” he said.

The Emergency Relief Fund was established in 2019 to fund emergency response and natural disaster recovery and preparedness in response to natural disasters.

Labor has already pledged that Mackay would be the first in line to receive funding from its new Disaster Ready Fund, which will invest up to $200 million per year on disaster prevention and resilience.

“Thousands of Australians who face bushfires, floods and cyclones every year deserve to be protected by a federal government who plans ahead and invests to keep them safe,” Mr Albanese said.

“We know weather events are on the horizon – we have the smarts and the resources to prepare and prevent disasters happening from these events.”

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