Published Thursday, 30 October, 2008 at 04:12 PM
Minister for Main Roads and Local Government
The Honourable Warren Pitt
More than $11.2 million in disaster funding for far north roads
Far north Queensland councils will benefit from more than $11.2 million in disaster funding towards the cost of repairing roads damaged during extreme weather events.
Member for Cook Jason O’Brien said the funding would assist local councils to rebuild their damaged road network.
“The devastating impact from tropical cyclones Larry and Monica in 2006 and the flooding across the Cape earlier this year have caused considerable damage to local road networks,” Mr O’Brien said.
“This has the potential to severely impact the regions accessibility and ability to transport goods and services.
“Regional communities in north Queensland rely on local road networks to keep them connected, and this sort of damage can leave them vulnerable.
“The restoration works needed in the wake of Larry and Monica and flooding events this year were significant and the overall costs of repair were certainly beyond council’s resources.”
Local Government Minister Warren Pitt said that as a result, the State and Commonwealth Governments had contributed $11,269,534 towards the cost of repairing the roads.
“Local council ratepayers would have been severely disadvantaged if they had been required to shoulder the financial burden of these natural disasters alone,” Mr Pitt said.
Mr Pitt said the funding was provided through the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements program, a joint State and Commonwealth initiative.
The following funding was provided to councils in far north Queensland:
Media contact: Minister Pitt’s Office 3227 8819; Cook Electorate Office 4051 3849
Member for Cook Jason O’Brien said the funding would assist local councils to rebuild their damaged road network.
“The devastating impact from tropical cyclones Larry and Monica in 2006 and the flooding across the Cape earlier this year have caused considerable damage to local road networks,” Mr O’Brien said.
“This has the potential to severely impact the regions accessibility and ability to transport goods and services.
“Regional communities in north Queensland rely on local road networks to keep them connected, and this sort of damage can leave them vulnerable.
“The restoration works needed in the wake of Larry and Monica and flooding events this year were significant and the overall costs of repair were certainly beyond council’s resources.”
Local Government Minister Warren Pitt said that as a result, the State and Commonwealth Governments had contributed $11,269,534 towards the cost of repairing the roads.
“Local council ratepayers would have been severely disadvantaged if they had been required to shoulder the financial burden of these natural disasters alone,” Mr Pitt said.
Mr Pitt said the funding was provided through the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements program, a joint State and Commonwealth initiative.
The following funding was provided to councils in far north Queensland:
- Hope Vale Aboriginal Shire Council received $820,644 following damage from tropical cyclones Larry and Monica.
- Mapoon Aboriginal Shire Council received $177,361 following damage from tropical cyclones Larry and Monica.
- Cook Shire Council will receive $7,106,175 following damage from flooding in February and March 2008.
- Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council received $2.4 million following damage from tropical cyclones Larry and Monica.
- Torres Strait Island Regional Council received $765,354 following damage from tropical cyclones Larry and Monica.
Media contact: Minister Pitt’s Office 3227 8819; Cook Electorate Office 4051 3849