Additional funding required for TC Jasper disaster recovery

Additional government funding streams need to be made available to local governments which were impacted by Tropical Cyclone Jasper.

TC Jasper crossed the coast north of Cairns at Wujal Wujal on 13 December 2023, producing heavy rainfall resulting in widespread flooding.

A number of assistance packages have already been activated through Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), a joint initiative of the Australian and State Governments, to provide relief and assist with recovery.

However, Cairns Regional Council has identified funding gaps in three key areas:

Restoring and building resilience of community and recreation infrastructure such as walking tracks, foreshores and exercise equipment‘Building back better’ to ensure assets (public and private) are restored at a more resilient standardMitigation and resiliency efforts such as flood studies, risk assessments and management strategies to manage river, creek and overland flood risk.

An initial estimate of the potential cost to Council if these funding gaps are not addressed is about $31 million.

Council is requesting that specific funding streams (exceptional circumstances – Category D) be made available to help address these gaps.

This would allow Council, as well as and other local governments similarly impacted by the disaster event, to make formal applications for funding to support specific projects and activities.