Damage to Cassowary Coast roads and infrastructure caused by TC Jasper and subsequent flooding is estimated to reach $40 million, with Councillors endorsing a new round of assessments to support recovery funding applications.

Tropical Cyclone (TC) Jasper crossed the Queensland coast as a category 2 system on 13 December 2023.

TC Jasper was associated with an extraordinary flooding event causing large-scale isolation, widespread power outages across north Queensland, and significant impacts to agriculture, animal welfare, small business and tourism.

Cassowary Coast Regional Council is one of 18 local government areas (LGAs) that have been activated for this event for a range of disaster assistance through the joint State and Commonwealth Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) to address the immediate and long-term impacts from these events.

DRFA is a cost-sharing arrangement between the Commonwealth and the states and territories. In Queensland, this program is managed on a whole-of-government basis by the Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA).

Category B funding includes assistance to local governments for the Restoration of Essential Public Assets (REPA). In many cases, rectification works can’t be delayed. The costs for these urgent works are captured as either Emergent Works (EW) or Immediate Reconstruction Works (IRW). The balance is managed via REPA submissions to reconstruct the assets to pre-disaster function.

Engagement of experienced consultants with the required resources is a priority to accessing funding to completing the reconstruction works that are estimated to be in the $30M - $40M range. This will be split into approximately 10 submissions to aid in progressive submission approval, construction contracting and staged acquittal of delivered works.

Program of Works

The current forecast completion date for the submission approvals is September 2024.

Implementation of reconstruction works will continue until early 2026.