Flood cash wait drags

HOBART City Council is still waiting for more than $5 million in vital flood-recovery funding from the Federal Government three months after the devastating floods ripped through the city.

The insurance bill for household and commercial property damaged in Tasmania’s catastrophic May storm event has grown to nearly $100 million, according to the Insurance Industry Council of Australia.

Hobart City Council estimates its damage bill from the flood to be about $20 million.

Hobart Lord Mayor Ron Christie said the council had applied for federal funding early last month for nonessential, uninsured items such as parks and walking tracks, in- cluding the Organ Pipe Tracks, but it was still waiting.

“Our workers are still out there doing flood recovery work,” he said.

“We are doing the work but it hurts our budget so we need that money.”

Ald Christie is concerned the recent instability at the Federal Government level could delay the approval of the funding, and implored new Prime Minister Scott Morrison to “sign the cheque”.

A Department of Home Affairs: spokesman said the request for funding under the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements was being assessed.

Ald Christie thanked the Federal Government for providing more than $400,000 to fix the Pinnacle Rd after the flood.

Pinnacle Rd was classified as essential public infrastructure.

Thirteen of Hobart City Council’s insured properties, including the City Hall and McRobies Gully Waste Management Centre, suffered damage of varying degrees as a result of the storm.

A council report notes that repairs to the City Hall were the highest priority due to the impending Dark Mofo and Festival of Voices performances booked for the venue.

The council is making an officer-led review of the disaster including how the council was prepared for the disaster, responded to it and recovered from it.

Read more from Ald Christie on sustainable progress in Hobart in Talking Point.