The State Government has allocated $63 million in the 2015-16 State Budget for councils to be better prepared for natural disasters and upgrade vital infrastructure.
A $40 million Community Resilience Fund has been established to help councils mitigate against natural disasters and $23 million through the Local Government Grants and Subsidies program for shovel-ready projects to build vital community infrastructure.
Deputy Premier Jackie Trad said the Community Resilience Fund would allow local governments to protect existing infrastructure, help communities become more resilient and reduce future expenditure on asset restoration after a natural disaster.
Eligible projects funded under the Community Resilience Fund include those which address urban flood and cyclone mitigation infrastructure gaps such as levees, detention basins, stormwater systems and shelters and projects which identify and address bushfire mitigation risk strategies across Queensland.
Ms Trad said councils struggling to deal with drought would also be able to benefit from almost $23 million in grants for shovel-ready projects that would keep jobs in towns and regions that were doing it tough.
“With more than 80 per cent of Queensland now drought declared the $23 million fund from the Local Government Grants and Subsidies Program will be vital to the creation and retention of council jobs,” Ms Trad said.
Eligible projects that can be funded under the Local Government Grants and Subsidies Program include water infrastructure, town centre rejuvenation and watering stations at stock points in drought declared areas.
