Emergency meeting of Queensland mayors as cash crisis looms
Disaster funding
A crisis meeting of mayors from across Queensland was held last week in Melbourne as councils grapple with flagged major changes to how emergency disaster funds are distributed by the Federal Government - but Douglas Shire Mayor Lisa Scomazzon could not secure an audience with Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain.
The mayors’ meeting was held in Victoria at the same time as a disaster conference, the Mayor told this week’s council meeting.
“Unfortunately the minister at the time would not meet with us,” Mayor Scomazzon said.
“We will just keep advocating as hard as we can.”
A council report tabled in the meeting stated that every Douglas Shire ratepayer would have to pay an extra $500 per year for the next 10 years in rates following another disaster if the proposed new funding model went ahead.
“I believe it’s about time this Government starts looking after their own people and starts looking after our country,” Mayor Scomazzon said.
Cr Damian Meadows said the proposal was a “slap us in the face”.
“Proposing to remove this funding arrangement is absolutely ludicrous, it is so disrespectful of the people who live in the most disaster-prone state in the country, and we’re in probably one of the most disaster-prone regions in the country,” Cr Meadows said.
“Things are going to fall by the wayside, and at the end of the day, our ratepayers are going to be the ones that are going to get ripped off.”
Cr Michael Rees said the Shire would be far worse off under the proposed new arrangement.
“We’re talking like tens of millions of dollars, it’s not just a couple of million.”
The Commonwealth has historically contributed up to 75 per cent of disaster funding, with the State Government funding the rest, but the Government is proposing to reduce that to a maximum of 50 per cent.
