North West Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils

31/08/2026

🗳️ The 25 councils of the Western Queensland Alliance of Councils (WQAC) have today delivered a resounding, unanimous rejection of the Federal Government’s proposed changes to the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), voting overwhelmingly in favour of a motion calling for an immediate reversal of the planned reforms.

Delegates at the 7th WQAC Assembly in Brisbane stood in lockstep with local government colleagues from across the state, raising their hands in a powerful show of solidarity against what has become the most hotly debated topic of the summit.

The endorsed motion warns that the proposed changes would:
- Reduce the Federal Government's funding contribution to disaster response and recovery.
- Drastically increase the activation threshold a disaster must meet before communities can receive help.
- Severely limit the ability of councils to "build back better" through vital betterment programs.
- Place local economies, critical industries, and essential infrastructure under direct threat.

Modelling from the Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA) paints a sobering picture of the proposed reforms.

Under the current system, the Commonwealth and State share costs in disaster funding, with the federal contribution historically rising up to 75 per cent beyond certain thresholds.

The proposed shift to a strict 50-50 cost-sharing model is projected to leave Queensland communities facing a massive funding gap – estimated at $713 million from the last disaster season alone.

Kristy McBain, Minister for Emergency Management and Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories, attended Day 1 of the Assembly to address the "elephant in the room" and defend her government's position.

Minister McBain reassured delegates that the reforms were not designed to leave councils carrying the financial burden.

"Councils are not required to contribute funding under the current arrangements, and these proposed reforms don't change that," she stated.

"They simply mean that the Commonwealth and the state government will equally share the cost of recovery."
Despite the Minister's assurances, Western Queensland mayors and the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) remain highly sceptical that regional communities won’t be impacted by the changes, labelling the proposal a cost-shifting exercise that ultimately penalises Queenslanders.

Both WQAC and the LGAQ have vowed to keep up the pressure, confirming that if the Federal Government does not back down in the coming months, the Alliance will take the fight all the way to the next federal election.

Anne Leahy, the Queensland Minister for Local Government and Water, and Minister for Fire, Disaster Recovery and Volunteers, said the changes would have a direct impact on local councils.

“On average, Queensland receives about 64 per cent in Commonwealth funding for disaster recovery. The federal government's 50-50 cost shift will place the differences squarely on councils. It will hurt dramatically,” she said.

“So, it is a wrecking ball that will go through councils, and it will leave communities worse off. It leaves New South Wales and Queensland … we are the losers when it comes to the proposed changes and the only beneficiary is the Commonwealth government."

Federal Minister McBain pointed to the increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters, noting that the current framework has not kept pace with changing risks.

She argued that the reforms are aimed at cutting red tape, streamlining complex processes, and ensuring funding flows faster to the ground.

"I've heard directly from many of you that you want funding to flow faster, that you want red tape cut, that you want greater control of response and recovery," Minister McBain said.

Etheridge Shire Mayor Barry Hughes, who is also the chair of the North West Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils, said his colleagues were concerned that they would become the “meat in the sandwich” between the Commonwealth and Queensland governments.

“I don't know where we go from here, Minister. I really don't. The concern and the sentiment across local government is that we, as councils, will become the meat in the sandwich for the squabble that's going to go on between Commonwealth and State,” he said.

“And what I've heard this morning, none of those fears have been allayed.”

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South West Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils RAPAD North West Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils Kristy McBain MP Ann Leahy Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ)

27/08/2026

👏 The Western Queensland Alliance of Councils (WQAC) has welcomed the strong, bipartisan support of Labor State Opposition Shadow Minister Nikki Boyd MP, who has formally backed Queensland councils in their fight against the Federal Labor Government’s proposed changes to disaster recovery funding.

Speaking at the 2026 WQAC Assembly at Brisbane City Hall, the Shadow Minister for Local Government, Water, Fire, Disaster Recovery, Emergency Services, and Volunteers said Queensland Labor is a resolute ally to local councils in resisting the planned federal reforms.

Addressing delegates from the bush, Ms Boyd revealed she recently led a delegation to Canberra to meet with Federal Minister Kristy McBain to outline the State Opposition's firm rejection of the proposed framework. The State Opposition has also written directly to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to formalise its opposition.

"The Labor Opposition has resolved to fight for our fairness of disaster recovery funding," Ms. Boyd said.

"As our nation's most decentralised and disaster-impacted state, our reality is different from any other jurisdiction. It is unique. For Queensland, disaster recovery is not a single event or season. It is constant, compounding, and cumulative."

Ms Boyd criticised the Commonwealth’s proposal, vowing to avoid shift costing onto local governments that are already stretched to their financial breaking points.

"You don't need a government that cost shifts onto you and then blames you for struggling to deliver," Ms. Boyd told the Assembly. "We will always stand up for our state."

The WQAC, representing 25 councils across 63 percent of Queensland's landmass, on Wednesday passed a unanimous motion calling on the Federal Government to immediately reverse the planned DRFA changes, warning they place local economies, key industries, and critical infrastructure under immediate threat.

The federal plan would reduce the Commonwealth's funding contribution to disaster response and recovery to a 50-50 split, drastically raise the activation threshold a disaster must meet before communities can receive help, and severely restrict councils' ability to "build back better" through betterment programs.

In addition to standing shoulder-to-shoulder with councils on disaster funding, Ms Boyd also threw her support behind WQAC’s newly released draft policy, Local Government Funding and Sustainability.

The draft policy advocates for a fair, predictable, and place-based funding framework for Western Queensland, including restoring federal Financial Assistance Grants to at least one per cent of Commonwealth taxation revenue and shifting away from complex, competitive grant rounds toward reliable, untied allocative funding.

Ms Boyd commended the Alliance for its thorough and strategic approach to addressing the systemic financial challenges facing rural and remote councils.

"I'd like to really acknowledge the work that's gone into putting that together," Ms. Boyd said.

"It crystallises a lot of the discussions that have been happening through different departments and through different agencies over a long period of time.

"It would be far easier and far better for local government to be able to have more of that untied funding, more of that reliable funding to be able to really plan long term and have some certainty. We're actively considering your fair, predictable, place-based funding model and the common-sense requirements it contains."

WQAC executive officer Greg Hoffman PSM thanked Ms Boyd for her active engagement and valued partnership.

"Having the Queensland Labor Opposition actively championing our communities in Canberra and endorsing our draft funding policy is a powerful asset," he said.


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RAPAD North West Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils South West Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils

26/08/2026

24/08/2026

🌀 When floodwaters isolate properties across North West Queensland, emergency fodder drops can be the only way to get feed to stranded livestock.

For Carpentaria Shire and across the Gulf region, that can mean helicopters, aviation fuel and a major logistical response across vast distances - at a cost that individual producers or a small remote council simply cannot carry alone.

Carpentaria Shire Mayor Jack Bawden says proposed changes to Federal disaster funding raise serious questions about whether governments will retain the flexibility to respond at the scale required during future disasters.

“Disasters do not arrive with a fixed scope or a fixed price tag. When cattle are stranded by floodwater, the response has to be based on what needs to happen on the ground.”

Earlier this year, jointly funded DRFA support enabled major emergency fodder operations across Carpentaria and other flood-affected North West Queensland shires.

NWQROC is calling on the Federal Government to reconsider its proposed Disaster Recovery Funding Framework and ensure remote communities can continue to access the support needed when severe disasters strike.

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Burke Shire Council Carpentaria Shire Council Cloncurry Shire Council Croydon Shire Council Doomadgee Aboriginal Shire Council Etheridge Shire Council Flinders Shire Council Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council McKinlay Shire Council Mount Isa City Council Mornington Shire Council Richmond Shire Council Western Queensland Alliance of Councils Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ)

20/08/2026

We extend our thanks to our Gold Partners supporting the 7th WQAC Assembly 2026.

From infrastructure and connectivity to legal, financial and professional services, our Gold Partners play an important role in helping drive conversations that support the growth and resilience of Western Queensland. Thank you to:

🔸Aspire Executive Solutions
🔸 Brighter Super
🔸 Fourier
🔸 GBA Engineers
🔸 Lackon
🔸 LO-GO Appointments QLD
🔸 Moray & Agnew Lawyers
🔸 NBN Australia
🔸 Preston Law
🔸 QTC
🔸 RESQ
🔸 Telstra
🔸 Veolia Australia & New Zealand
🔸 Westbuilt Homes
🔸 The Yellow Company

20/08/2026

NWQROC has lodged a formal submission to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) strongly opposing the Federal Government’s proposed Disaster Management Reforms, warning that the changes would leave remote communities exposed, delay recovery, and shift millions of dollars in additional costs onto councils and primary industries.

NWQROC’s submission highlights that the proposed Disaster Recovery Funding Framework (DRFF) would significantly reduce national capacity to prepare for, respond to and recover from natural disasters. As outlined in the submission, the reforms would result in “roads being cut for longer, communities recovering for longer, and the closure of nationally defining industries.”

NWQROC Chair and Mayor of Etheridge Shire Council, Cr Barry Hughes, said the reforms fail to recognise the realities of disaster response in rural and remote Queensland.

“These reforms are unacceptable. They shift costs onto the very communities that can least afford it, weaken recovery capability, and ignore the fact that remote councils already operate at the edge of financial sustainability. North West Queensland is an economic powerhouse – yet these proposals would leave our communities and industries more vulnerable, not less.” Cr Hughes said.

The submission warns that the proposed 50:50 cost sharing model would reduce the Federal Government’s contribution to disaster funding by at least 14% in Queensland. Had this been applied to funding received by the region’s councils since DRFA started in 2018, it would equate to a $276.8 million cost shift onto North West Queensland communities.

NWQROC also strongly opposes the proposed increase to Queensland’s disaster activation threshold from $240,000 to $2.7 million, and the proposed Resilient Infrastructure Scheme – which, of the 750 Queensland betterment projects funded over the past 15 years, only 1% of betterment projects would have been approved under the proposal.

NWQROC Chief Executive Officer, Josh D**e, said the NWQROC, and its 12 member councils, are urging the Federal Government to re-engage with all levels of government to ensure that the reforms are fit-for-purpose.

“North West Queensland councils experience some of the nation’s most severe and frequent disaster events. Any reform must strengthen, not weaken, the ability of councils to protect their communities, industries and critical infrastructure.”

NWQROC’s full submission has been provided to NEMA as part of the national consultation process and can be downloaded from the NWQROC website at: www.nwqroc.com.au/news/nwqroc-lodges-submission-opposing-proposed-disaster-management-reforms
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Burke Shire Council Carpentaria Shire Council Cloncurry Shire Council Doomadgee Aboriginal Shire Council Etheridge Shire Council Flinders Shire Council Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council McKinlay Shire Council Mornington Shire Council Mount Isa City Council Richmond Shire Council Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) Western Queensland Alliance of Councils

20/08/2026

A sincere thank you to our Platinum Partners for their support of the 7th WQAC Assembly 2026.

Your commitment to regional Queensland helps make this important event possible. Thank you for your partnership, leadership and investment in stronger regional communities.

We are proud to acknowledge our Platinum Partners:
🔹 Department of Local Government, Queensland Government
🔹 Help Enterprises
🔹 King & Company Solicitors
🔹 LGMS
🔹 Proterra Group
🔹 Rapid Platform
🔹 RRETS

13/08/2026

We’re standing united against Canberra’s cuts to disaster funding.

More than six months after devastating floods tore through the North West, Ann Leahy and I joined the North West Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils in Julia Creek to send a clear message to the Federal Labor Government.

The Crisafulli Government and our North West councils stand together.

As Australia’s most disaster-prone state, Queensland deserves its fair share of disaster funding - not cuts from Canberra.

We’re standing with regional Queensland to fight for the support it deserves.

Back our regions. Sign the petition. Stop Canberra’s cuts.

13/08/2026

A clear message on behalf of North West Queensland communities: dump this disastrous deal.

North West Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils is backing calls for the Federal Government to reverse proposed changes to disaster recovery funding.

Communities should not have to pay more to recover when disaster strikes. These cuts would place additional pressure on councils already facing increasing costs to rebuild essential local infrastructure and services.

Queensland communities deserve support when they need it most. Join our campaign: share this post.

Burke Shire Council Carpentaria Shire Council Cloncurry Shire Council Doomadgee Aboriginal Shire Council Etheridge Shire Council Flinders Shire Council Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council McKinlay Shire Council Mornington Shire Council Mount Isa City Council Richmond Shire Council Croydon Shire Council

29/07/2026

When Tropical Cyclone Kirrily cut Ballaleah Road on Mornington Island in 2024, families were shut off from outstations, Country and each other.

Thanks to Disaster Recovery Funding – a Federal and State government funding partnership that contributes an average 65:35 funding split towards disaster recovery costs, council rebuilt it.

But under the Federal Government’s proposed reforms, which changes the funding split to 50:50, councils will potentially be required to find up to 15% of total recovery costs.

Under these proposed reforms, Mornington Shire alone would have had to have found almost $1 million to support the delivery of the $6.24 million of total disaster recovery work just for the 2024-25 disaster season alone.

For Aboriginal Shire councils, like Mornington Shire, who have no rate base to draw from and are 100% funded by the Federal and State governments to deliver essential services for their communities, this proposed funding gap is not achievable.

"A 15% funding gap is a wall for a council with no rate base. There is nowhere for that money to come from, unless we cut services that our remote community relies upon – including housing and support to allied health services." Mayor Richard Sewter

The Federal Government collects 80% of total national taxation revenue, compared with 16% for the State and 3% for local government. Shifting more disaster recovery cost onto the level of government with the least capacity to raise it will deepen the risk for remote communities like Mornington Island.

NWQROC is calling on the Federal Government to scrap the proposed 50:50 funding model and retain a funding split that reflects the real cost of disaster recovery in remote Australia and their capacity to pay.

Read the full statement: www.nwqroc.com.au/news/mornington-island-faces-multi-million-dollar-shortfall-under-federal-disaster-funding-cutback