May 8, 2024
A second round of extraordinary disaster recovery assistance has been announced for Queensland communities – including the South Burnett – affected by the Southern Queensland bushfires during the spring of 2023.
The Federal and State governments will jointly fund more than $12 million to support the mid-to-long-term recovery and resilience needs of the communities.
The package will target nine council areas: Bundaberg, Central Highlands, Gladstone, Maranoa, North Burnett, South Burnett, Southern Downs, Toowoomba and Western Downs based on needs.
The assistance includes:
- $6.24 million Community Health and Wellbeing Package
- $2.2 million Mental Health Package
- $1.87 million Agricultural Industry Recovery and Resilience Officers
- $1.5 million Rural Landholders Recovery Grants Program
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Community Health and Wellbeing package – $6.24 million
- $2.34 million towards community recovery and resilience officers to engage, support and promote recovery and resilience planning and activities at a local level.
- $2.25 million for up to five full-time equivalent community recovery connect workers within Neighbourhood Centres to partner with special interest and community groups in assisting vulnerable residents.
- $1.2 million to fund community recovery grant co-ordinators to help impacted individuals navigate available services.
- $450,000 in Flexible Funding Grants available across all LGAs to be used for the development of emergency, disaster preparedness and business continuity plans, including for community organisations and Neighbourhood Centres.
Mental Health Program – $2.2 million
- Funding for Queensland Health to provide individual and family therapeutic care and interventions for people impacted by the fires, with a focus on longer term support services and strengthening existing mental health support programs.
Agricultural Industry Recovery and Resilience Officers – $1.87 million
- Specialised resilience officers who will work with industry, councils and affected producers to support regionally co-ordinated recovery approaches to risk reduction for future disasters.
Rural Landholders Recovery Grants Program – $1.5 million
- Assisting rural landholders in agricultural communities with the extraordinary expenditure associated with disaster clean-up and the reinstatement of eligible rural residential and lifestyle properties.
