Natural disaster mitigation, recovery, mental health funding

Townsville’s resilience to natural disasters will be sandbagged under a multimillion-dollar federal government plan to mitigate and respond to the worst of what mother nature throws at the region.

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Townsville’s resilience to natural disasters will be sandbagged under a multimillion-dollar federal government plan to mitigate and respond to the worst of what mother nature throws at the region.

Federal Emergency Management Minister David Littleproud, in Townsville today, announced $60 million in funding to go towards natural disaster mitigation and recovery.

The measures come in the wake of Townsville’s devastating 2019 flood event which left a massive trail of destruction in its path, with the financial and social impacts expected to linger for years after the natural disaster event.

Residents of Rosslea being evacuated as Townsville continues to flood from heavy monsoonal rain. Picture: Alix Sweeney

Mr Littleproud said the funding allocation has been decided in close consultation with the National Drought and North Queensland Flood Response and Recovery Agency co-ordinator Shane Stone, who has spent the most part of the last 12 months travelling to the worst hit parts of the state talking with landowners and communities.

The $60 million dollar cash splash included recovery and resilience grants,

telecommunications and energy improvement, managing disaster risk, economic diversification.

It also included a $2 million top up of funding to go towards the mental health of children.

“Whether that be flood, whether it be fire, or more likely cyclone, and the Bureau of Meteorology has issued a La Nina warning, which means we will be looking at 2010, 2012 events possibly coming,” Mr Littleproud said.

The continued inundation forced authorities to open the floodgates on the swollen Ross River dam on Sunday night. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

“And, that’s where we need to be prepared.

“We need to protect our most precious capital, our human capital, and looking after young Australians and young North Queenslanders who are impacted by this particular event is very important.”

Mr Littleproud said the funding was aimed at “local solutions” of infrastructure targeted to suit the needs of the region whether that be a levee bank to catch excess water flow, diversification of industry, particularly in agriculture, and building resilience around telecommunications and energy, particularly during disaster periods.

Australia's military has been deployed to tackle devastating "once-in-a-century" floods that have inundated homes, schools and airports in the country's northeast, forcing hundreds to flee and bringing crocodiles onto the streets. (Photo by STR / AFP)

Member for Herbert Phillip Thompson said the funding was critical to ensure North Queensland could be self sufficient in times of natural emergencies.

“That comes into a part of the grants process that will look to support our region’s through the community through individuals and also local government will play a key role here through this process,”

“Because we need to make sure that if there is another event that we’re going to be okay, we’re going to be safe when we have the infrastructure, the support and the processes in place.”

Originally published as Natural disaster mitigation, recovery, mental health funding