February 15, 2022
South Burnett Regional Council will receive $1.6 million for multiple community projects under the Federal Government’s Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grants program.
The grant, for “priority projects and a small grants program to support recovery and resilience needs”, was announced by Member for Maranoa David Littleproud on Tuesday.
The “Community Connection – Local Built” project aims to achieve:
- A recovering South Burnett community that is more resilient to the impact of future bushfires and other natural hazards
- A local economy supporting the emotional, social, economic and physical well-being recovery needs of the South Burnett community to build community resilience and capability.
A second South Burnett project, “Cherbourg & Surrounds Bushfire Resilience”, will receive $299,002.
This project aims to significantly reduce the danger of loss of life and catastrophic fire damage to Cherbourg, surrounding communities and towns.
The South Burnett projects are among 524 projects across Australia funded under the $390 million program.
“As part of the now $2.2 billion National Bushfire Recovery Fund, the Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grants program is backing projects which the affected communities have said will best support their ongoing recovery,” Minister Littleproud said.
“It was important that we funded projects based on need and merit and which offered a lasting and tangible impact, tailored to local needs and conditions. The quality of the projects funded shows that our ‘locally led’ approach works.”
Other projects funded cross over multiple Federal Electorates and Local Government Areas.
These include Red Cross Recovery – where officers and volunteers will deliver recovery and psychosocial training to individuals and groups to strengthen resilience to future disasters – and the Green Rebuild Toolkit project which aims to “empower and support fire-ravaged communities to rebuild their homes in a climate-resilient way”.
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Funding for projects that include the South Burnett, Cherbourg, Gympie, North Burnett, Somerset and Toowoomba local government areas:
- Community Connection – Local Built – South Burnett – $1,600,000
- Cherbourg and Surrounds Bushfire Resilience Project – South Burnett – $299,002
- Black Summer Bushfire Remediation and Resilience in the Burnett-Mary – South Burnett, North Burnett and Bundaberg LGAs – $3,201,862
- Green Rebuild Toolkit – Multiple LGAs including the South Burnett, North Burnett, Gympie, Toowoomba and Somerset LGAs – $161,399
- Australian Red Cross 2019-20 Bushfire Recovery Program – Multiple LGAs including South Burnett, North Burnett and Gympie LGAs – $7,256,492
- Recover, Adapt Connect; Supporting Disaster Resilience following bushfire – Multiple LGAs including South Burnett, Toowoomba and Somerset LGAs – $3,600,000
- NBN Bushfire Resilience HPC Project – North Burnett – $134,200
- Smiths Bridge replacement, Smiths Road, Woolooga – Gympie – $440,000
- Disaster Co-ordination Centre plus Training and Community Space – Gympie – $611,000
- Cull-Cha Program – Gympie – $36,150
- Kandanga Hall and Rural Fire Service carpark and emergency access – Gympie – $150,000
- NBN Bushfire Resilience HPC Project – Gympie – $1,476,200
- Somerset Brisbane Boundary Firewall – Somerset – $500,000
- Fernvale Firewall – Somerset – $800,000
- Building Pathways To Resilience In Bushfire-Affected Communities – Multiple LGAs including Somerset – $112,320
- ASDF – Multiple LGAs including Somerset – $1,040,800
- Online Psychology and Financial Counselling in Bushfire-Affected Regions – Multiple LGAs including Somerset – $389,250
- Museum and Galleries Recovery and Preparedness Workshop Series – Multiple LGAs including Somerset – $98,476
- Strategic Fire Trails – Toowoomba – $188,125
- Hampton Community Enterprise Kitchen Stage 3 – Toowoomba – $24,710
- Qld Fire and Biodiversity Consortium – Multiple LGAs including Toowoomba – $4,364,569
