Calls for flood ravaged Gympie, Fraser Coast sports clubs to apply for $45m fund

Flood ravaged Gympie and Fraser Coast sports groups are being urged to apply for a share of $45m in recovery funding rolled out by the State Government. Find out how: FREE STORY

Gympie and Fraser Coast sports groups struggling to recover after this year’s disastrous floods have been offered a multimillion-dollar lifeline by the State Government.

A total of $45m has been stumped up by the state to help sports clubs get back on their feet following a torrid start to the year which serious flood events in January, February and May.

It is likely to be a welcome opportunity for Gympie sports groups, who have had to endure not only the city’s second worst flood in recorded history but a second inundation in the midst of that recovery effort.

The Gympie Times has been campaigning to Save Our Sports, calling for greater support from all levels of government to help the region’s sports community thrive.

The stories have been heartbreaking.

The Gympie Times is campaigning to save the region’s sports, which are under pressure not only from the damage caused by the floods, but a lack of playing space.

Gympie’s netball was left without a home after floodwaters inundated the courts, making them unusable and leaving an expected damage bill of about $500,000.

The BMX club had to recover its canteen after it floated more than 100m down the road, while its track has suffered serious damage twice this year.

Across the city and Gympie’s Junior Rugby League Devils were left with a damage bill of more than $150,000 from the floods, with the disaster arriving at a time when the sport was already feeling a squeeze from a lack of playing fields.

Players at Gympie’s basketball competition have been hit by the squeeze too, with games frequently rescheduled due to the lack of playing room.

Meanwhile the Gympie United Football Club suffered $20,000 damage in the flood, and members said they were dealt a further blow by Gympie Regional Council’s decision to first cut a planned $1m investment in the region’s sports, then remove it entirely after the floods.

The bill to repair flood damage to Gympie’s netball courts is expected to be $500,000.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles said in a statement announcing the $45m funding opportunity that a tour of the state’s flood-affected areas, including Gympie and the Fraser Coast, revealed the extensive recovery task ahead.

“I have travelled to many of the communities that have been impacted by the major floods this year and the damage to recreational assets has been substantial,” Mr Miles said in the release.

“Gympie Regional Council has faced some major challenges this year after being hit by major flooding multiple times and its local recreational and community facilities such as the Tansey Showgrounds have been severely damaged.

“Other councils such as Goondiwindi, South Burnett and the Fraser Coast have reported major damage and this funding will be available to repair assets that are traditionally not eligible for funding under the standard Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

For more information or to register, please go to www.qra.qld.gov.au/community-and-recreational-assets

Expressions of Interest are open until 31 July 2022.