The Queensland Government has announced a $10 million plan to research and build essential flood mitigation projects.

 

The $10 million boost is in addition to the Natural Disaster Resilience Program - a four-year, $44 million program designed to assist local councils and other organisations better prepare for and mitigate the effects of natural disasters.

 

Premier Bligh said the extra funding would be allocated from a one-off $18 million payment from the Federal Government as payment for Queensland executing and implementing the National Partnership Agreement on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development.

 

“It is fitting that this money should be used to make communities in South West Queensland more resilient because it is here in the Surat Basin where the Coal Seam Gas industry is coming to life,” said the Premier.

 

“We have seen record flooding here this year but flooding in the South West can and does occur frequently with some communities flooding two or three times in the last few years.

 

“This new funding can help give these communities the confidence and security they need to benefit from the coming prosperity.

 

“Eligible projects could include house raising or relocation schemes, levee systems and new gauging and monitoring systems.

 

“In September last year we allocated $13.2 million to provide long term flood protection for Charleville which has flooded five times since 1990.

 

“This year Charleville was saved from a devastating flood by a permanent levee funded by the State Government and completed in 2008. We are now working on improvements to provide long term flood mitigation for Charleville.

 

Ms Bligh said that one of the key projects to be funded from the additional funding would be further levee works around the town of St George.

 

“St George was saved by the existing levee this year, but only just. We want to give the people in this community more certainty that their town can survive future flood events,” said the Premier.

 

“That’s why we will prioritise the allocation of $3.1 million from this new funding to undertake a Balonne River hydrology study and levee works around the town of St George.

 

“Studies like this are important to ensure that food mitigation projects do not impact other properties downstream.”

 

Ms Bligh said her Government was committed to making Queensland better equipped to deal with natural disasters.

 

“In the last few years, my Government has overhauled our State Disaster Management framework, provided $3.2 million to Councils for new flood warning systems and gauges and ensured Councils received $2.7 billion in Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements,” she said.

 

“We committed $76 million over 5 years as part of our response to the Commission of Inquiry, including 56 new flood boats; training thousands of staff in disaster management; recruiting hundreds of additional SES volunteers; establishing 253 swift water rescue technicians; and new emergency management equipment.

 

“And the Queensland Reconstruction Authority’s floodplain mapping and the joint LGAQ/DERM Study on Inland Flooding, which was completed last year has given us more information than ever before to use in the management of natural disasters.”

 

Since the Natural Disaster Resilience Program was launched in 2009 more than 100 projects have received funding.

 

Applications for funding are assessed by a committee comprising representatives of the Local Government Association of Queensland, Emergency Management Queensland, the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service and the Department of Community Safety.