Gold Coast beaches: Dredging begins at Surfers Paradise as federal funding remains in limbo
Mayor Tom Tate has apologised to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after claiming he was going slow on approving a Gold Coast request for funding to repair heavily-eroded beaches.
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Mayor Tom Tate has apologised to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after claiming he was going slow on approving a Gold Coast request for funding to repair heavily-eroded beaches.
It’s understood the request for funding - which must come from state government - was finally sent to the federal government on Tuesday morning.
More than $10m is being spent to fix the world-famous beaches, which were washed away in March by tropical cyclone Alfred and have continued to be impacted by subsequent storms.
Mr Tate on Monday blamed the federal government and Mr Albanese for not signing off on the request and leaving things in limbo.
However, the mayor backtracked on Tuesday morning, saying he had been informed later that the funding package request had not yet been sent by state to Canberra.
“I do apologise (to Mr Albanese),” he said.
“I think (the funding request) is on the premier’s desk.
“The federal government cannot fund local government directly so it is between the state and feds.
“I have got reassurances that the funding will be there, it’s a timely issue but my point is that I am getting on with it.”
It is understood the Crisafulli government forwarded the disaster funding request, which also took in other southeast council areas impacted by Alfred, on Tuesday morning.
“State and Federal agencies have been working constructively over the past month, and in partnership with local governments impacted by TC Alfred, on long-term recovery and this package is currently with the Federal Government for final approval,” a state government spokeswoman said.
“Replenishment work on Gold Coast beaches is underway, and support for small businesses and individuals has already been delivered.”
A federal government spokesman said on Monday that all funding requests were looked at.
“We have responded to every request we’ve received from the Queensland Government in the lead up to and following ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.”
“We said we’d have Queenslander’s backs in this recovery, and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”
The Albanese government committed more than $1.2bn in cyclone Alfred recovery measures in March’s federal budget.
‘Too busy to sign off on it’: Coast’s beach recovery funding in limbo
Mayor Tom Tate has pleaded with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese not to dud the Gold Coast in critical funding needed to repair the city’s famed but heavily eroded beaches.
More than $10m is being spent to fix the world-famous beaches, which were washed away in March by tropical cyclone Alfred and have continued to be impacted by subsequent storms.
Standing on Surfers Paradise beach on Monday as a dredge sat offshore pumping sand back into position, Mr Tate said the Gold Coast City Council’s application for relief funding had been approved by the state government but was yet to be signed off by the federal government.
“I’m disappointed that the Queensland reconstruction authority got our application in there and the Queensland government has approved it, but I guess the Prime Minister’s been too busy to sign off on it, so I couldn’t wait for that (to begin dredging),” he said.
We’ve started it in good faith and I expect the federal government will come through and fund what we’re trying to do in our recovery.
“It’s unprecedented that the Prime Minister’s office is so slow, but we are recording (the work being done) and they can help us fund it.
“But really if the federal government refused to fund this, it sends the wrong signal because (it suggests that) when disaster hits any part of Australia that the federal government would sit back and go, ‘we are really devastated and we’re sorry to see it happen, but I give you no money’.
“It’s like one of those uncles that come to your Christmas party, says I love you and cuddles you, but there’s no present. And what happens then?
“My attitude is, well you can’t rely on that uncle. So Albo, please sign the letter.”
Federal funding requests are made from councils to the Commonwealth via the state government.
A federal government spokesman said: “We have responded to every request we’ve received from the Queensland Government in the lead up to and following ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.”
“We said we’d have Queenslander’s backs in this recovery, and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”
The Albanese government committed more than $1.2bn in cyclone Alfred recovery measures in March’s federal budget.
“Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred could wipe a quarter of a percentage point off quarterly growth,” Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers said in his budget speech.
“We’re providing help to Australians and communities affected by natural disasters -provisioning another $1.2bn to properly fund recovery from ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred as part of $13.5bn in natural disaster funding for further north and around the country.”
The measures include:
● $15m of support for early recovery efforts.
● Up to 13 weeks of income support.
● A one-off payment to those eligible through the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment scheme.
● $10,000 business continuity payments to child care subsidy services closed or partially closed due to the cyclone.
● A further $200m to support disaster resilience and risk reduction through the Disaster Ready Fund
● $3.2m to extend targeted mental health support for emergency service workers.
The dredge is expected to spend eight weeks pumping sand back onto the beaches operating 24 hours a day.
It will move progressively further south towards Burleigh Heads
Mr Tate said more than 80 per cent of the beaches were again open and urged holiday-makers to come back to the Coast.
“Come on down and enjoy your holiday and it is ready for all the people coming from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the drive market,” he said.
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