Three major announcements today show the Gillard and Bligh Governments are continuing to re-build Queensland following the devastating summer of natural disasters.
Speaking at the Queensland Reconstruction Authority today, the Prime Minister and the Acting Premier announced over $1.1billion in joint government funds to rebuild Queensland including:
* Up to $18 million to better protect the town of Grantham against future flooding
* $700million to repair more than 1,000 kilometres of roads in the South West of Queensland
* Almost $435million to reconstruct more than 200 kilometres of roads across the Darling Downs region.
Strengthening Grantham
The Gillard and Bligh Governments will provide up to $18 million to establish vital community infrastructure including water, sewerage and roads at a new residential development on higher ground in the town of Grantham.
This development will allow local residents to relocate to an area that is better protected from flood events in future.
This special joint-government grant will prepare the town for the future, create jobs, business opportunities and commercial development.
Last summer, we saw an inland tsunami tear through the town, destroying everything in its path.
In the wake of this we want to see a stronger more resilient Grantham come out of this natural disaster and we are working with the Lockyer Valley Council to deliver it.
The Strengthening Grantham initiative will also create jobs and business opportunities for the people living in and around the town.
This grant comes in addition to the work already underway to help residents rebuild and repair their homes, with some residents preparing to move into their new homes soon.
Throughout the Lockyer Valley 10 houses were completely destroyed; 19 damaged beyond repair; and a further 119 sustained significant damage.
More than $1.1billion for Darling Downs and South West
The badly hit Darling Downs and South West regions will be given significant funding for road reconstruction, creating jobs, fixing roads and getting on with the task of rebuilding a stronger Queensland.
Up to $700million will be injected into South West Queensland's roads as part of the reconstruction effort. This will repair more than 1,000 kilometres of roads and create 1,500 jobs which will boost the economies of towns such as Roma, Charleville, St George, Cunnamulla and Thargomindah.
In the Darling Downs region, almost $435million is being injected to recover and rebuild disaster-damaged roads in the state-controlled network. This package will reconstruct more than 200 kilometres of roads across the region will sustain more than 1100 jobs in four local government areas - Goondiwindi, Southern Downs, Toowoomba and Western Downs.
The Gillard Government will provide 75% of the funding for these projects, with the Bligh Government contributing 25% through the long standing natural disaster arrangements.