The Albanese and Crisafulli governments have committed a further $26.6 million to support long-term recovery efforts in flood-ravaged parts of north, north-west and central Queensland, as communities continue to rebuild after weeks of devastation.
Announcing the package on Thursday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the additional funding would help communities “hurting now” while laying the groundwork for recovery and rebuilding after record rainfall triggered by the North Queensland Monsoon Trough and ex-Tropical Cyclone Koji.
PM Albanese said the disaster measures were designed to help flood-affected Queenslanders get back on their feet and build back stronger, stressing that all levels of government would continue working together through the recovery phase.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said the scale of the disaster had been immense, pointing to the loss of more than 50,000 head of livestock and homes inundated in towns such as Clermont. He said the government was “laser-focused” on ensuring recovery efforts matched the size of the impact, drawing on Queenslanders’ long-standing reputation for supporting one another in hard times.
The funding targets key pressure points in the recovery, including support for primary producers, small businesses, clean-up operations and mental health services. It includes an $11.32 million primary producer support package offering wrap-around assistance such as financial and personal counselling, feral pest and locust management, and recovery and resilience officers.
Nearly $10 million has been allocated for disaster recovery grants to help small businesses with clean-up, repairs and replacement of essential equipment and stock, while $4.26 million will fund mental health and psychosocial wellbeing programs across 15 local government areas in the north, Far North and north-west. A further $1 million community relief fund will support Isaac Regional Council’s clean-up and immediate recovery works.
Federal Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain said she had seen first-hand the damage caused by the floods and that the new package built on supports already activated, targeting urgent priorities to keep communities safe and functioning.
Queensland Minister for Disaster Recovery Ann Leahy said the devastation facing primary producers, businesses and communities was heartbreaking, but governments would continue working tirelessly to meet the complex recovery needs across affected regions.
All measures are jointly funded under the Commonwealth–state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements. Combined with extraordinary assistance announced last week, total recovery support from the two governments has now exceeded $66 million.
Flood-affected small businesses can check their eligibility for disaster recovery grants through the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority.
Support our Journalism
No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.
