$75 million for Queensland disaster recovery and resilience
Disaster-prone Queensland regions will benefit from new road and bridge upgrades, and improvements to council flood warning services, through new funding from the Australian Government.
$75 million will be invested to increase flood resilience in Toowoomba, Gympie, Bundaberg, the Southern Downs and Scenic Rim, along with areas impacted by the South-East Queensland Rainfall and Flooding, 22 February - 5 April 2022 event.
The Emergency Response Fund (ERF), will be split across six infrastructure projects, including the Bundaberg East Levee project and upgrades to southern Queensland’s Flood Warning Infrastructure Network.
Flood-impacted councils will also receive additional funding to undergo any needed infrastructure recovery works.
These significant resilience projects will help improve flood defences, while enhanced warning and evacuation routes will enable greater situational awareness in life threatening situations.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Bundaberg East Levee project - Department of Energy and Public Works
Part of a $174.7 million commitment by the Australian and Queensland Governments to build a 1.7 kilometre flood levee adjacent to the southern bank of the Burnett River in Bundaberg. This levee will increase flood resilience for the community and economy, and will include a concrete floodwall with flood gates, flood doors and pumping stations.
Southside Transport Flood Detour Route Upgrade - Gympie Regional Council
Widen a 220-metre section of Copp Road, Pritchard Road and Smerdon Road while improving the road geometry and intersection configuration. This will create a vital transport link connecting the growing Southside with the Gympie CBD if Exhibition Road and Power Road are cut by flooding in the Mary River.
Price Creek Bridge - Scenic Rim Regional Council
Replacement of an existing low-level floodway with a new concrete bridge with raised deck height to increase flood immunity. This bridge provides the only access to the Illinbah community off Illinbah, Tabletop, Gray, Rowe and Price Creek Roads (73 properties with a mix of residential and business).
Easey Street Drain - Southern Downs Regional Council
Replace current drain with a concrete-lined drain and construct a grass-lined drain between the Warwick Gymnastics site and the Cunningham Highway. There are currently 24 properties in the Easey Street flood zone (inundation area is approximately 3.5ha).
Perth Street (Lake Annand) culverts - Toowoomba Regional Council
Demolish and remove the existing 60-year-old culvert and replace this with a new reinforced concrete box culvert structure and related infrastructure, including a small weir to reinstate Lake Annand.
Flood Warning Infrastructure Network - Various councils
Continue the roll-out of new and upgraded infrastructure to improve flood warning services throughout southern Queensland, with investments to be made across 23 LGAs impacted by the 2022 SEQ Rainfall and Flooding event, from Gold Coast in the south to Gladstone in the north and west to Goondiwindi.
Recovery grants - Various councils
The 23 councils impacted by the SEQ floods in early 2022 will have an opportunity to access a share of $1 million for projects that support ongoing recovery needs, with a focus on recovery of damaged infrastructure.
Further information:
From 1 July 2023, the ERF will be replaced by the $1 billion Disaster Ready Fund (DRF), which commits up to $200 million per year over five years to help Australian communities protect themselves from the impacts of natural disaster.