Decade of Betterment making Queensland infrastructure better

24 March 2023

Over the past 10 years, Queenslanders have collectively faced more natural disasters than any other state, and in many instances these floods, cyclones and bushfires have occurred concurrently or in quick succession.

Facing this reality is why Queensland has become a nation-leader when it comes to embedding resilience in its communities – building back better being the key.

Queensland’s Betterment Fund, jointly funded by the Queensland and Australian Governments through Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), invests in rebuilding disaster-impacted assets to a more resilient standard:

  • Increasing the resilience of communities to natural disasters
  • Lessening the human and economic impacts of disasters
  • Reducing future costs relating to disaster recovery
  • Improving asset utility and connectivity during and after natural disasters

Since the first Betterment Fund was established in 2013, the Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA) has worked with councils and state agencies to deliver a wide variety of infrastructure projects across the state, from constructing and upgrading bridges to improving roads and expanding floodways.

In a decade more than 520 projects have been approved across 70 local government areas, with a Betterment investment of over $263 million.

This is helping create a safer and more resilient Queensland, strengthening communities while saving money for all levels of government.

As at July 2022, 375 Betterment projects have been subsequently impacted by natural disasters.

In total, there have been 1,016 impacts to Betterment sites from 40 events, with 81 per cent suffering no damage or only minor or superficial damage.

In some cases, Betterment assets have been impacted multiple times after undergoing works, including, for example, Aurukun Access Road, which has been hit 10 times.

Of the Betterment projects re-impacted, an investment of $137 million has generated more than $391 million in savings or avoided costs – a great outcome for all.

With the number of disasters experienced in Queensland each year predicted to rise, the value and importance of Betterment is only set to grow.

The Betterment Fund is yet another initiative that’s helping make Queensland the most disaster resilient state in Australia.

For more information on Queensland’s Betterment Fund visit www.qra.qld.gov.au/betterment