JUNE 2023
Australia’s National Local Government Newspaper
Art trail launch The Art on the Great Victorian Rail Trail Project was officially opened at Trawool Estate on Friday 26 May ahead of a major tourism campaign planned for spring. The project was a join initiative between Murrindindi, Mansfield and Mitchell Shire Councils.
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The project has seen seven large-scale artworks and a series of smaller works placed along the length of the 134km trail.
Disaster funding Almost 200 projects across Australia aimed at protecting Australian communities from future disasters have been announced as part of the first round of the Federal Government’s Disaster Ready Fund. The fund will provide $200 million per year aimed at protecting Australian communities. The funding is available to state and territory governments, working with local governments and communities, for building infrastructure such as flood levees, seawalls and hazard warning systems to protect communities, homes, livelihoods and critical public infrastructure. The announcement of the first 187 new projects to be funded by the DRF has been welcomed by all levels of government including the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA). ALGA President Councillor Linda Scott said the projects were critical for protecting Australian communities from future disasters. “We strongly advocated to the Government for this funding in the lead up to last year’s election, and were thrilled when it was announced and later enshrined in legislation,” Cr Scott said. “Unfortunately, less than five percent of disaster mitigation funding in Australia is spent on mitigation and community resilience. This
needs to change if we are to better protect our communities from increasingly frequent floods, fires and cyclones.” There were 46 declared disasters covering more than 300 local government areas in 2022 alone. “Local governments across the country have disaster mitigation projects ready to go, and this funding will help them deliver these projects and better safeguard their communities,” Cr Scott said. “Investing in mitigation makes economic sense, and significantly reduces the costs governments incur during recovery. “We sincerely thank Emergency Management Minister Senator Murray Watt for this first round of funding, and look forward to working with him to ensure future rounds of funding is provided where it will make the biggest difference.” NSW has had 19 local projects funded under the DRF with a total of more than $70 million in combined investment into disaster prevention. Successful projects in NSW include: De-
livery of risk reduction equipment, a critical evacuation centre and early warning systems at Cabonne in Western NSW; The design and construction of four high priority coastal protection projects including upgrades to road protection structures, rock walls and levees as part of Eurobodalla Council’s Batemans Bay Coastal Protection Works on the South Coast; Construction works to future-proof Moulamein against damage caused by large flood events in the South West region; Works to reduce flood and erosion risks in the Lismore river catchment on the North Coast; A suite of research and development projects to enhance disaster planning, preparations and response capabilities in the Northern Rivers; Construction of new stormwater drains in Orange in the Central Western region; The establishment of strategic partnerships with Aboriginal communities and organisations to reduce the risk and impact of disasters through Forestry Corporation’s ‘Fire, Country and People’ and Youth-informed mental health resources in preparation and response to disaster-associated trauma through Bushfire Kids’ ‘Connect School Com-
munity Disaster Risk Ready’. Through the first round, Queensland will benefit from over $150 million in combined investment into disaster prevention, through the Federal, State and delivery partner co-contributions. Successful Queensland projects include: Resilient infrastructure for Indigenous and remote communities including cyclone shelters and upgrades; Foreshore strengthening along the Sunshine and Moreton Bay coast; Live Stream Flood Monitoring Cameras for Brisbane; Pormpuraaw Aerodrome Upgrade; Monitoring and Early Warning Systems upgrades at Cloncurry; Solar Panels and Battery Storage for Disaster Resilience at Mt Isa; Water infrastructure upgrades at Gladstone to gain resilience in the water network and enable the existing Round Hill Reservoir (RHR) to be upgraded to a more resilient standard; Extension of the Household Resilience Program in Central and North Queensland coastal communities to reduce damage from cyclones; Enhanced energy security during disasters in South East Queensland and Statewide disaster ready imagery. Continued page 3
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