Additional funding to help Queensland communities recover from bushfires

17 December 2020

More than $11 million has been approved for a range of projects that will help with the economic and social recovery in Queensland communities that were heavily impacted by last year’s bushfires.

Twelve projects have been approved in the second round of the $36.8 million Local Economic Recovery Program.

The Local Economic Recovery (LER) Program is jointly funded by the Commonwealth and Queensland Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

Funding and projects approved under the second round of the LER Program include:

  • Gladstone Regional Council
    • Project officer to enhance community disaster resilience and preparedness and improve council’s current programs and resources - $185,000
  • Ipswich City Council
    • Enhance fire trails for use as recreational trails - $340,000
    • Construct new meeting space within Firestation 101 Business Incubation Hub - $280,000
  • Livingstone Shire Council
    • Improve the pathway connection from Cooee Bay Beach to Wreck Point and Lammermoor Beach - $500,000
  • Lockyer Valley Regional Council
    • Renewal works and upgrades to a range of community halls - $700,000
  • Mareeba Shire Council
    • Upgrade sewer main system in Mason Street - $2,217,000
  • Noosa Shire Council
    • Establish a FireTech Laboratory in Noosa - $1,894,000
    • Reduce vegetation and fuel load on a number of rural roads - $110,000
  • Southern Downs Regional Council
    • Upgrade the Warwick drag strip to a national 1/4 mile standard - $1,900,000
  • Scenic Rim Regional Council
    • Upgrade the Vonda Youngman Community Centre on Knoll Road - $600,000
    • Rebuild key common areas and accommodation facilities within Binna Burra Lodge - $500,000
  • Toowoomba Regional Council
    • Replace wooden power poles with fire resistant poles between Perseverance and Cressbrook Dams - $1,908,000

The LER Program was open to local governments and Queensland Government departments and agencies for projects in the Bundaberg, Gladstone, Gympie, Ipswich, Livingstone, Lockyer Valley, Mareeba, Noosa, Scenic Rim, Somerset, Southern Downs, Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba local government areas.

The program is administered by the Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA) on behalf of the Commonwealth and Queensland Governments.

On 11 May 2020 the Prime Minister announced $448.5 million to support bushfire recovery, with $350 million available for Local Economic Recovery (LER) funding and $98.5 million available for Complementary Projects. LER funding is being matched by relevant state governments (NSW, VIC, QLD and SA), providing $700 million in total to support community and regional recovery.

For more information visit www.qra.qld.gov.au/LER.