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| Deloitte report estimates $7.7 billion cost from the floods | Extreme fire weather days in Australia have doubled | Australia’s key disaster agencies now even closer | Financial assistance for flood-affected agri-businesses | Flood recovery tool improves SEQ resilience

Deloitte report estimates $7.7 billion cost from the floods

An independent Deloitte report into this year’s floods has revealed an estimated total cost of $7.7 billion to Queensland.

The Deloitte report considers the social, financial and economic costs of the 2022 SEQ rainfall and flooding event that hit 23 local government areas.

The report dives into the human and social impacts, damage to residential, commercial and public infrastructure as well as industry disruption, emergency response and clean-up and environmental factors. It highlights the sheer extent of the damage caused by these floods.

Healthy Land & Water has swung into action, campaigning to flip from response-focused to proactively building catchment resilience in an effort to minimise the impact of these disaster events in the future.

The Deloitte report can be found at: http://www.qra.qld.gov.au/2021-22-Southern-Queensland-Floods.

Extreme fire weather days in Australia have doubled

Extreme fire weather days have increased in Australia by 56% over the last four decades, according to new research from an international team of scientists (including CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency).

The results show that the fire season length across Australia has increased by 27 additional days over the last 41 years (1979-2019).

CSIRO researcher Dr Pep Canadell said an increase in fire weather trends translated to an increase in the number of Australian bushfires. “Australia has always experienced extreme bushfires, but the Black Summer of 2019/2020 highlighted an increasing trend in fire activity,” Dr Canadell said.

To read the full article click here: http://www.qra.qld.gov.au/2021-22-Southern-Queensland-Floods

Australia’s key disaster agencies now even closer

Australia’s preparedness, response and recovery from natural disasters will be strengthened following the establishment of the new National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on 1 September.

NEMA brings together the capabilities of Emergency Management Australia and the National Recovery and Resilience Agency into a single agency for the first time. This change is aimed at delivering a more coordinated approach from the Australian Government, around response to emergencies and preparing for future hazards.

Concurrent with preparations for the establishment of NEMA on September 1, staff from both organisations continue to support the ongoing recovery from this year’s widespread floods. They are also already working with state and territory disaster and emergency response services on preparations for the upcoming high risk weather season.

Visit their website:  https://recovery.gov.au/about-us

Financial assistance for flood-affected agri-businesses

Further financial recovery assistance up to $75,000 is now available for primary producers who were impacted by the flooding that occurred throughout mid-May.

Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities Mark Furner said jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) were activated based on initial damage reports collated by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

“A number of local government areas have suffered severe impacts from multiple rain events this disaster season and the cumulative effect is quite significant,” Mr Furner said. “Impacts have included multiple crop losses, impacts to soils and erosion and infrastructure and livestock losses.”

”The Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries has worked with local governments, industry and impacted producers to gather the impact information that was used to support this request for additional Special Disaster Recovery Grants of up to $75,000 for the following local government areas:

• Lockyer Valley Regional Council.
• Southern Downs Regional Council.
• Somerset Regional Council.
• Western Downs Regional Council.
• Gympie Regional Council.
• Balonne Shire Council.

“Unfortunately, some of our impacted producers who have been through multiple flood events this season are feeling the toll on their wellbeing and mental health,” Mr Furner said.

“I encourage those who are suffering and in distress to seek support in your recovery efforts and my department is here to assist where we can.”

Visit the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries website: https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/agriculture/disaster recovery/natural-disaster/support-services

Natural Disaster Assistance is administered by the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority (QRIDA) on behalf of the Queensland and Australian governments. For more information or to apply visit qrida.qld.gov.au or freecall 1800 623 946.

Flood recovery tool improves SEQ resilience

Our novel flood impact tool created at the height of the 2022 SEQ floods recently caught the attention of Utility Magazine. The publication featured Healthy Land & Water’s tool and applauded how its quick development put SEQ in an enviable position, enabling disaster recovery assessments and applications to occur faster than has ever been possible.

People from across SEQ used the online form to upload local information and photos to help better understand flood impacts to natural areas and project sites.

Read the full story on the Utility Magazine website here: Click here.