Scenic Rim continues to rebuild after TC Debbie

Disaster recovery efforts in the Scenic Rim continue to progress more than four months after Tropical Cyclone Debbie wreaked havoc on Queensland.

Minister for Local Government Mark Furner met with Scenic Rim Mayor Greg Christensen today to hear the latest update on infrastructure repairs in the wake of Debbie.

“The Palaszczuk Government has been there to help the people of Scenic Rim and as of last week, the Queensland Reconstruction Authority had approved six submissions with a recommended value of $5.9 million,” Mr Furner said.

“Already, $2.7 million has been paid to the Scenic Rim Regional Council for recovery and reconstruction activities in the wake of Debbie.

“More than $650,000 has been approved for payment under the Special Disaster Assistance Category C for 104 primary producers in the Scenic Rim.

“While 1,799 people in the Scenic Rim region have also been assisted with Immediate Hardship Grants approved with a value of more than $313,200.

“The Palaszczuk Government has again proven its commitment to Queenslanders in their time of need no matter where they live across this great state.”

Mr Furner slammed comments made by Whitsunday MP Jason Costigan last week, who dismissed work being done on the important John Muntz Causeway on Tamborine-Oxenford Road, saying it was “a thousand kilometres from where the cyclone hit”.

“In the aftermath of Cyclone Debbie, I visited several towns in North Queensland that were badly affected by the natural disaster,” Mr Furner said.

“But unlike the LNP, and in particular the Member for Whitsunday, the Palaszczuk Government understands it wasn’t only North Queensland that was impacted, with flooding causing millions of dollars of damage in Logan and the Scenic Rim.

“I applaud the LNP’s Federal Member for Forde for sticking up for his constituents in the face of such ignorance from the Member for Whitsunday, but all we heard from his colleague in Beaudesert, Jon Krause, was silence.

“The Palaszczuk Government is committed to seeing all parts of Queensland not only recover from Debbie, but also rebuild to be more resilient in future disasters.”

 Media contact: 0427 018 178