Mayor welcomes more disaster-relief funding

Flood Proofing

Shaun Hollis

Journalist

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Flooding in Mossman in December 2023. Picture: Nella Pringle

Douglas Shire Council has welcomed an injection of more than $4.5m in Federal Government funding to help strengthen the region for times when severe weather hits.

Mayor Lisa Scomazzon said the cash, pledged in the lead-up to the federal election to be held before mid May, would be put to good use.

“Council is grateful for the financial assistance the Federal Government has provided to support disaster recovery and resilience activities in our shire,” Mayor Scomazzon said.

 “We are confident this investment in these projects and personnel will improve our capabilities to respond and recover well from future disasters and support our communities to be better prepared.“

The DSC has provided Newsport further detail about what the money will be spent on, including: 

-The·region’s rain gauges, river level gauges and automatic road signs will all be checked and new ones will be installed “where warranted”.

-Wujal Wujal, Cook and Douglas Shires will work together to produce a more comprehensive flood plan for the Bloomfield Valley region, including shared training and other co-operation.

-A new “disaster support officer” will be hired to help deliver the Cyclone Jasper Recovery and Resilience Plan and the North Queensland Resilience Program.

-The council’s Incident Management Team and other community groups will undergo further training in preparation, response and recovery.

-There is a plan to buy two mobile sandbag machines to help the SES and residents fill sandbags quicker in both Douglas Shire and neighbouring council areas, with one being bought as soon as possible.

The North Queensland Recovery and Resilience Package helps local communities recover from, and prepare for, future floods. 

It supports those affected by the 2019 Monsoon Trough and the 2023 monsoon and flooding events.

For more on the program, including all the successful projects, visit the National Emergency Management Agency’s website.

 

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