Cairns blown out of cyclone risk list
TOOWOOMBA has been deemed a bigger cyclone risk than Cairns as the federal government doubles down on a bizarre bureaucratic designation.
The federal government has failed to identify Cairns as being at risk of cyclones, despite the inland likes of Toowoomba, Southern Downs and Barcaldine making the cut.
It sounded like an error, but a federal government response reveals it was nothing of the sort.
The strange assessment was made in the fine print for the Preparing Australian Communities Program (PACP) – a funding pool to help local governments increase disaster resilience.
Mayor Bob Manning pointed out the apparent oversight in a letter to Emergency Management Minister Bridget McKenzie, labelling it “unquestionably puzzling.”
“We note that neighbouring
LGAs (local government areas), such as Cassowary Coast and Tablelands, are included as priority areas … ” he wrote.
“Furthermore, LGAs which appear to have limited tropical cyclone risk exposure such as Barcaldine, Southern Downs, and Toowoomba (even more puzzling) are also included as priority areas for tropical cyclone risk. Based on this, we can only assume that Cairns’ omission from the list of priority areas for tropical cyclone risk is an error.
“Accordingly, Cairns Regional Council requests that the error be addressed and that Cairns’ inclusion as a priority area for tropical cyclone risk be rectified for future rounds of the PACP program.”
The Whitsunday region was also left off the list, despite being decimated by Cyclone Debbie five years ago.
Deputy Premier Steven Miles also wrote to the federal minister, saying the designation must be a mistake.
“The Australian government wrote back and said, ‘No, no. It is not an error. We think Toowoomba is a more appropriate location for a tropical cyclone risk,” Mr Miles said.
“I am not sure when a cyclone last hit Toowoomba, but according to the Commonwealth government it is more likely that a cyclone will hit Toowoomba than Cairns.”
Mr Miles’ letter said state government advice about which councils should receive funding priority, based on experience from more than 90 natural disasters over the past decade, had been ignored.
“As a result, many inland LGAs have been given a higher risk rating for cyclone from the Commonwealth than those most frequently impacted on the east coast,” Mr Miles said.
“I urge you to reconsider the use of data that does not truly represent the experience of Queensland communities impacted by flood, cyclones and bushfires, and instead instruct NRRA (the National Recovery and Resilience Agency) to consider the vast amount of data, research and lived experience that is available from our disaster management and recovery agencies, as well as local governments.”
Senator McKenzie has been asked for comment.