It’s a wrap on 2026 LRAP updates for Queensland

A milestone in Queensland disaster resilience planning has been achieved with every local government area in the state now having an updated Local Resilience Action Plan (LRAP) in place.

Unique to Queensland, LRAPs capture and prioritise local resilience-building projects, targeting critical infrastructure, addressing access issues, reducing disaster risk, and supporting long-term recovery. 

LRAPs give the Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA) and the Queensland Government a stronger, statewide evidence base for resilience funding decisions, and provide councils with a clear pathway to seek and secure investment.

Minister for Disaster Recovery Ann Leahy said Local Resilience Action Plans are crucial tools to guide investment and project delivery.

“LRAPs allow councils and the QRA to identify projects focused on growing community resilience, reducing disaster risk, and strategic alignment with local and regional needs,” Minister Leahy said.

“For example, Richmond Shire Council’s Cambridge Crossing bridge project on Richmond-Croydon Road in north-west Queensland highlights the relevance of having an LRAP in place and up to date.

“This project was Richmond Shire’s top resilience priority, and through council’s LRAP the existing causeway was identified for upgrade to a bridge as part of the 2025-26 Betterment Program. 

“We encourage councils to keep their LRAPs current, and the fact all 77 Queensland councils and the Weipa Town Authority have completed their plans for 2026 is testament to the priority they put on increasing our collective disaster resilience.”

Richmond Shire Council Mayor John Wharton said the LRAP program has been a resounding success for the community. 

“The program has helped focus council’s thinking about critical assets that are severely impacted by disaster events,” Mayor Wharton said.

“Council uses its LRAP to prioritise project requests and detailed design works to ensure shovel-readiness should funding become available, for example the new bridge being built over the flood-prone Stawell River at Cambridge Crossing.”

The 2025-26 Betterment Program is funded under the joint Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

For more information on QRA Local Resilience Action Plans visit www.qra.qld.gov.au/resilience/local-resilience-action-plans-lraps.