General News
17 October, 2026
Disaster grants backflip
PROPOSED cuts to disaster funding that would have cost the Far North “hundreds of millions” in relief have been scrapped by the federal government just as the region prepares for the annual wet season.
The government announced last Friday that it would not proceed with a 50:50 funding split between state governments and the Commonwealth as part of the disaster funding recovery framework.
The changes would have reduced the federal government's contribution by a quarter, instead of totalling 75%.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli thanked Prime Minister Anthony Albanese “for listening to our concerns and arriving at a commonsense decision”.
“We now wait to see further details and ensure this is delivered and funding arrangements are maintained in full, so Queenslanders can have certainty and confidence in their hour of need during disaster season,” he said.
“Today’s (last Friday) decision diverts disaster for the most disaster-prone state.”
Federal Member for Leichhardt Matt Smith said local councils should not cover the bulk of repairing communities after natural disasters.
“Nobody has ever said, and it has been the government’s position always that councils should not, should never be responsible for the funding of disaster recovery,” he said.
“What councils do better than anybody else is look after their community.
“If you want boots on the ground, if you want the people who know the streets, know the bridges, understand the trees when it’s time to clean up, it’s got to be council.
“But they do not have the funding to do that. That is why it should always be the responsibility of the feds and the states.”
Queensland Senator Nita Green said the result was testament to and some of the advocacy from Mr Smith.
“But the decision that we’ve made today takes that uncertainty off the table for them, especially leading into disaster season,” she said.
“And we’ve always stood side by side with councils and with communities during disasters when they strike.”
Mayor Amy Eden said “a commonsense approach has been reached and I was really vocal in speaking against the proposed changes”.
“And I will be just as vocal, unequivocally thanking Matt Smith, the member for Leichardt, the senator for Cairns or Queensland, Nita Green, and the Albanese government for standing with Cairns because that’s what we asked for,” she said.
“We said we don’t know when a cyclone will come. We don’t know when there’ll be a flood, but what we do know is that we can’t do this alone.
“Please stand with us, and to be heard, and for that to be acted on, is an absolutely wonderful announcement today.
“We were asking for certainty, we’re asking for clarity, and as we come into the cyclone season, as we ask residents to prepare, as we tell businesses to get ready, we know that we can do that with the federal government standing beside us,” Cr Eden said.
