October 12, 2026
Toowoomba mayor Geoff McDonald has welcomed the Federal Government’s decision to reverse proposed changes to Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, describing it as a win for communities across Queensland.
“The proposed changes would have left TRC ratepayers almost $50 million worse off and placed additional pressure on communities recovering from natural disasters,” Mayor McDonald said.
“Our region has experienced 12 declared disaster events since 2018 so we know how important it is to have strong funding partnerships in place when disaster strikes.”
Mayor McDonald acknowledged the advocacy efforts of the Queensland Government, the Local Government Association of Queensland and councils across the state.
“This outcome reflects the strong and united advocacy of the Queensland Government, the LGAQ and local councils that highlighted the real impacts these changes would have had on communities,” he said.
“When governments and councils work together, we achieve better outcomes for the people we serve.
“We welcome the Federal Government listening to those concerns and making the right decision to continue the status-quo on DRFA for disaster-prone communities across Queensland.”
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