LEICHHARDT MP Warren Entsch has welcomed a Commonwealth-State joint-funding announcement of more than $3 million in projects to assist communities across Queensland build resilience to natural disasters.
Projects are jointly supported with Commonwealth Government funding matched by the Queensland State Government and funding recipients. This funding encourages a partnership approach to disaster resilience, with funding recipients helping to build a culture of shared responsibility with governments.
Mr Entsch said more than $158,000 in funding had been committed to organisations in the Torres Strait to help communities better prepare and respond to natural disasters.
“Natural disasters can have an enormous impact on our economy and cripple businesses and communities, especially in the Torres Strait where island communities can be isolated for extended periods of time.
“This funding will help Torres Strait Island communities to be more resilient and better prepared to prevent and lessen the impact of future extreme weather events, whether cyclones, flooding or storm damage.”
Funding will support three projects:
– Torres Shire Council – $28,445 to assist with installation of a diesel-powered electricity generator at Torres Shire Council’s offices to enable essential operational and communications activity during a power outage caused by a natural disaster (total project cost $71,112);
– Torres Shire Council – $35,072 to purchase HF radio and upgrade UHF repeater system to enable the Torres Shire Council and the Torres Strait Local Disaster Management Group to secure radio communications between islands and Cairns for Council operations, during disaster events and communications failures (total project cost $38,969).
– Torres Strait Island Regional Council – $95,256 to purchase and install 16 HF radios to be located in the Torres Strait Regional Council offices for the purposes of the Torres Strait Local Disaster Management Group (total project cost $105,840).
Minister for Justice Michael Keenan said while the nature and size of the country’s landscape meant that natural hazards were a fact of life in Australia, communities are stepping up efforts to manage natural disaster risks.
“Natural disasters have an enormous impact on our economy and cripple businesses and communities. These projects led by state agencies, local councils, non-government organisations and volunteer organisations are all designed to help communities better prepare and respond to natural disasters,” Mr Keenan said.
“I congratulate the successful recipients and look forward to the work they will do to make Queensland safer.”