‘Didn’t want to play politics’: PM backflips on $771m flood funding rejection

Acting Premier Cameron Dick said the Federal Government’s decision to come to the table for Queensland’s flood funding is a ‘win thanks to people power’ as he slammed the Prime Minister for taking three weeks to make the call.

The federal government has backtracked on a decision to reject Queensland’s request for flood recovery funding, with the Prime Minister agreeing to split costs of the $771m package — with conditions.

The decision by Scott Morrison to come to the table on the major flood recovery package comes less than 48 hours after he wrote to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk formally rejecting the request, saying it was “outside the scope” of disaster relief arrangements.

The package, the “biggest single disaster package” in Queensland’s history, includes $275m to rebuild homes stronger, $350m for a voluntary buy back scheme, $100m to raise homes and $16m for two education programs — with costs to be split between the federal and state governments.

Mr Morrison, speaking on 4BC on Thursday morning, said he “didn’t want to play politics” and despite maintaining the recovery package was largely a state and local government issue agreed to stump up the money.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has now said the Federal Government will split the flood package with Queensland. Picture: Damian Shaw

But the cash comes with conditions for the state government.

The federal government wants the state government to report publicly on how they are spending disaster recovery cash and what mitigation projects they were funding and delivering.

A re-elected Morrison government would also strike a new natural disaster partnership agreement to properly demarcate what issues are strictly federal or state responsibilities.

“Requests that the Queensland Government have made … go well beyond any other requests for floods of this nature … they are things that are the state government’s responsibility,” Mr Morrison said.

“But it’s pretty clear, they want to play politics with this and I don’t want to play politics with this.”

Mr Morrison also alleged there was $52m of funding from previous disaster funding that Queensland had yet to spend.

But the head of Queensland’s Reconstruction Authority rubbished any suggestion it was sitting on unspent funds.

“This is a program from 2019/2020 and is still in delivery,” QRA chief executive Brendan Moon said.

“And the funds that are being referred to are essentially the safety net that underpins local councils delivery of their reconstruction programs associated with the event.

“The reality for us here in Queensland is we are currently dealing with the reconstruction and recovery from over 20 events.”

Mr Moon said about 7800 homes in South East Queensland were flood impacted, with 4000 deemed uninhabitable.

The Queensland Government called on the Federal Government to share the payment last month. NewsWire / Sarah Marshall

Acting Premier Cameron Dick welcomed the Prime Minister’s backtrack, and said the Queensland Reconstruction Authority was already required to spend money and report on where that went based on existing federal imposed guidelines.

“I’m finally pleased that the Prime Minister will do the right thing by Queensland. He will look after these families,” he said.

“And we can help people stop reliving this nightmare when their homes get flooded over and over again. So this is a good move forward.”

Mr Dick said the announcement from the Prime Minister was a “win thanks to people power”.

“It is regrettable I must say that it took so long for the Prime Minister to act,” he said.

“It took him three weeks to consider our proposal.

“36 hours after the Prime Minister said no, he’s now said yes. That is a great credit … to the strength of Queenslanders.”

Mr Dick said guidelines over how the money would be spent would be drawn up with the federal government.

Acting Premier Cameron Dick. Picture: NewsWire / Sarah Marshall

“As soon as we finalise the guidelines with the federal government, we want to get the money out of the door,” he said.

“We want to get it right. We want to make sure we get value out of every last dollar that we invest in these communities.”

The Acting Premier suggested those who had been hardest hit would be the first to benefit from the package.

Mr Moon said the State would need to work with the Commonwealth to determine who would be eligible for the funding under the package.

On Wednesday, Insurance Council of Australia chief executive Andrew Hall said the federal government’s “failure” to match Queensland’s investment was “disappointing and short sighted”.

“Australians – particularly those still impacted by the ongoing rain and flooding – want governments to come together to provide better protections against worsening extreme weather, not wash their hands of responsibility,” he said.