An army of volunteers from Disaster Relief Australia played a pivotal role on the ground helping those in the Bloomfield River catchment commence the monumental clean-up required after flooding devastated the area in December 2023. Photo: Supplied.
Efficiencies realised through joint federal and state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) have unlocked an additional $7.73 million in support for the Bloomfield River catchment following last year’s flood disaster.
The State Government made the announcement on 8 August the funding would allow for increased flood risk management measures to be implemented in the region.
Remote parts of the Bloomfield River catchment, including Wujal Wujal, Ayton and Degarra, will be the focus of new flood studies to help communities prepare for future extreme weather after unprecedented inundation during the 2023 wet season.
In addition, $6.27m will be made available through the Northern Queensland Bushfires Package to invest in mental health support, community health and wellbeing, agricultural industry recovery and resilience officers, and recovery grants for rural landholders.
Member for Cook Cynthia Lui welcomed the announcement and said many residents in the Bloomfield River catchment were still struggling to bounce back eight months on.
“Recovery from this extraordinary disaster season remains challenging for many Far North Queenslanders and we must use our recent experiences to learn and plan for the future,” she said.
“I know the $7.73 million the Miles Government is investing in flood studies on remote stretches of the Bloomfield River catchment will be welcomed by local communities.
“After devastation in Wujal Wujal, Degarra and Ayton, the new data to be incorporated into the Bloomfield River flood studies is about building resilience and peace of mind.”
Minister for Disaster Recovery Nikki Boyd said events like the post-Tropical Cyclone Jasper flooding were “a fact of life” and that the funding would help communities better prepare for future occurrences.
“Natural disasters are a fact of life in Queensland, and they seem to be becoming more frequent and extreme,” she said.
“This additional $14 million for Far North Queensland brings targeted support for mental health and wellbeing, and investment to help boost community recovery from future disasters.”
