In each edition we feature the views of a Local Government Association president. The following is from Councillor Paul Bell, President of the Local Government Association of Queensland.
As this column goes to press, Queensland’s north and far north is counting the cost of one of the worst cyclones to hit Australia’s coast in more than a century.
Cyclone Yasi slammed into the coast near the town of Mission Beach and laid waste to places like Tully and Cardwell.
This part of the State is used to dealing with cyclones, of course, but even those who experienced the devastation of Cyclone Larry five years ago were awestruck and not a little frightened by what Yasi delivered.
The toll Yasi has extracted on council infrastructure is still being tallied and is likely to be hundreds of millions of dollars, but it is worth noting that whatever the final figure, it will be merely an addition to the huge damage bill that Queensland has sustained over the past month.
To give you an idea of the scale of the destruction we have experienced, in any given year the infrastructure damage bill from natural disaster runs to about $100 million. The Great Floods of 2010 and 2011 caused around $2.2 billion damage – 20 times the average – to council infrastructure alone. This includes roads, bridges, water and sewerage treatment plants, libraries, parks, swimming pools, childcare facilities and other council assets.
This is not counting the damage to local economies from flooded businesses and the ongoing emotional trauma that lingers well after the mud and debris have been cleared away.
My own community of Emerald was hit by major flooding just as it was finally completing its recovery from the massive deluge of 2008.
But what I found in Emerald – the amazing resilience of ordinary people when confronted by extraordinary challenges – has been repeated across the State, from Bundaberg to Brisbane.
These disasters might have left a huge repair bill, but they’ve also created a vast amount of social capital that Local Governments across Queensland are likely to find invaluable in meeting the challenges of recovery.
For all that, the coming months and years will be hard going for councils affected by this string of natural disasters.
Thankfully, the Federal and State Governments have recognised both the importance of getting these communities back on their feet and the crucial role local councils will play to ensure that happens as quickly as possible.
Prime Minister Gillard’s decision to provide Queensland with an upfront repair payment of $2 billion, and Premier Anna Bligh’s initial advance of $400 million to Local Governments to enable them to get on with the rebuilding job, means a lot of regions can look forward to the task with confidence rather than despair.
