General News
3 July, 2026
Concern over disaster funding cuts
PROPOSED changes to national Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) has sparked actions from both the Mareeba Shire Council and Tablelands Regional Council, with calls for the Federal Government to reconsider its plans.
Mareeba Deputy Mayor Lenore Wyatt moved a motion at the June council meeting, asking the council to prepare a submission to the Federal Government on the proposed changes.
While the full details were unknown, the changes would change the ratio of state and federal funding to a 50-50 partnership instead of the 65/35 split in Queensland.
“I suppose we know there is cuts to funding, which will fall back on our ratepayers, or will fall back on the ‘lack of things able to be fixed’,” Cr Wyatt said.
“And then we go back to the like-for-like repairs, and betterment is definitely always the better way to do things because then next time it’s not Groundhog Day, next time we are actually looking at more resilience for whatever the infrastructure is.”
Cr Amy Braes said it was vital that DRFA funding remained supportive of regional communities.
“I think it is really important that we stand shoulder to shoulder with ROC (Regional Organisation of Councils) and the state government to prevent divestment on to communities and councils to take on responsibility for disaster recovery.”
Mayor Angela Toppin said she was working with FNQROC which was “doing extensive research on this, so we get a more fulsome picture of what the implications are”.
The Australian Government announced in June it was reforming its DRFA to simplify access, speed up funding, and promote resilience.
The proposed changes to the funding split are opposed by the State Government, which has said Queensland would be unfairly disadvantaged because it has a high number of disaster-prone areas.
At the TRC meeting on Thursday last week, Acting Mayor Dave Bilney introduced a notice of motion calling on councillors to support a letter from Minister for Fire, Disaster Recovery and Volunteers, Ann Leahy, which formally opposed the changes, and to sign a government petition, promote the issue in the community, and write to the region’s federal MP and Senator.
The council heard the DRFA was the primary mechanism for financial assistance to state and local governments. Ms Leahy advised the changes would include a flat 50/50 cost-sharing model, the discontinuation of funding programs such as Category D Betterment and DRFA Efficiency initiatives and a reduction in funding available through the Disaster Ready Fund from $200 million to $142.5 million for the 2026-27 financial year.
The Federal Government’s Minister for Emergency Management, Kristy McBain, briefed a meeting of the National Emergency Management Ministers on 5 June on the DRFA reforms which would also standardise recovery packages, simplify the threshold for funding access, and introduce a Resilient Infrastructure Scheme allowing up to 15% cost-sharing for rebuilding stronger infrastructure (betterment).
The new framework responds to recommendations from the Independent Review of Commonwealth Disaster Funding which found that Australia’s disaster management frameworks and arrangements had not evolved at the same rate as the changing nature of disasters, which had increased in size, scale, intensity, cost and complexity.
Minister McBain said these rates of change were clear in the last high risk weather season.
“We saw 60 severe weather events impacting more than 190 local government areas with some communities impacted back-to-back,” she said.
“I saw firsthand the immense impacts of this on communities – homes and livestock lost, businesses closed, major infrastructure damaged.
“Our reforms will create certainty about the support available to communities and ensure it flows as quickly as possible.”
The DRFA would provide assistance across four categories:
• Category A: Immediate support for individuals facing hardship.
• Category B: Restoration of essential public assets and support for small businesses.
• Category C: Additional support for severely affected communities, requiring Prime Minister approval.
• Category D: Exceptional circum-stances assistance, also requiring Prime Minister approval.
