Betterment invests in safety and stability for Cape York communities

Essential infrastructure will be strengthened across the Cape York Peninsula, with new Betterment projects slated for three Indigenous communities.

Jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments, the investments will help safeguard essential services, reduce isolation during disasters, and deliver long-term resilience for the communities of Coen, Mapoon, and Kowanyama. 

In the east, a new cold storage facility for Coen in Cook Shire will provide council with substantial dry and cold storage space when the community is cut off by floods, reducing a reliance on costly air resupply. 

On the western Cape, Kowanyama residents will benefit from drainage and pavement upgrades throughout the township designed to improve waterflow and reduce flooding along local streets. 

North of Weipa, Mapoon’s water treatment plant will be upgraded to protect it against coastal erosion and other severe weather threats, guaranteeing year-round local water security. 

Collectively, the projects represent a long-term investment in the safety and stability of the region, providing residents of the remote communities with critical infrastructure that can be relied on in all conditions.

Cape York communities are among Queensland’s most vulnerable, and these projects are aimed at future-proofing townships in the region and improving quality of life for those who live there. 

The projects are being delivered under Round 1 of the $450 million Queensland Resilience and Risk Reduction Program (QRRRP), an initiative of the Queensland Government to strengthen disaster resilience across the state.

The QRRRP is funded through the joint Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

Other projects being backed through QRRRP Round 1 include a water main duplication in Carpentaria Shire, upgrades to the Mount Isa-Duchess Road, and a flood warning review for south-west Queensland, with the full list available on the QRA website.