Monthly Report May 2017 FINAL

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Monthly Report May 2017 FINAL Q R A Monthly Report May 2017 www.qldreconstrucon.org.au Monthly Report ‐ May 2017 1 Document details: Security classificaon Public Date of review of security classificaon May 2017 Authority Queensland Reconstrucon Authority Author Chief Execuve Officer Document status Final Version 1.0 Contact for Enquiries: All enquiries regarding this document should be directed to: Queensland Reconstrucon Authority Phone the call centre ‐ 1800 110 841 Mailing Address Queensland Reconstrucon Authority PO Box 15428 City East Q 4002 Alternavely, contact the Queensland Reconstrucon Authority by emailing [email protected] Licence This material is licensed under a Creave Commons ‐ Aribuon 3.0 Australia licence. The Queensland Reconstrucon Authority requests aribuon in the following manner: © The State of Queensland (Queensland Reconstrucon Authority) 2011‐2015 Informaon security This document has been classified using the Queensland Government Informaon Security Classificaon Framework (QGISCF) as PUBLIC and will be managed according to the requirements of the QGISCF. Monthly Report ‐ May 2017 2 www.qldreconstrucon.org.au Message from the Chief Execuve Officer Major General Richard Wilson AO (Ret’d) Chairman Queensland Reconstrucon Authority Dear Major General Wilson It is with pleasure that I present the May 2017 Monthly Report – the 75th report to the Board of the Queensland Reconstrucon Authority (QRA). QRA was established under the Queensland Reconstrucon Authority Act 2011 (the Act) following the unprecedented natural disasters that struck Queensland over the summer months of 2010‐11. The Authority is charged with helping Queensland communies effecvely and efficiently recover from the impacts of natural disasters through managing and coordinang the Queensland Government’s program of infrastructure renewal and recovery within disaster‐affected communies and being the state’s lead agency responsible for disaster recovery, resilience and migaon policy. Since the last report, Queensland has connued with the recovery efforts following the devastang impacts of Severe Tropical Cyclone Debbie in late March/April 2017. To date, 35 local government areas in Queensland have been acvated for joint Commonwealth/State Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA) assistance as a result of the event. The May report profiles how a number of NDRRA projects that have been made more resilient with funding from the 2015 Beerment fund withstood the severe weather unleashed by Cyclone Debbie and subsequent flooding. The report also highlights how the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) is using innovave technology to fast‐track damage collecon from the event and how the cyclone impacted one of TMR’s key reconstrucon projects in delivery. The May report incorporates updated NDRRA damage esmates for the 23 events from the 2015, 2016 and 2017 disaster periods that QRA is currently managing through the delivery phase, including preliminary esmates for Severe Tropical Cyclone Debbie and other 2017 events. Of the esmated $1.8 billion program of reconstrucon works for the 23 events in the delivery phase, $673 million has been approved by QRA and addional submissions worth $125 million are being assessed by QRA or awaing addional informaon. QRA is working with delivery agents to expedite the progress their preparaon of submissions for the remaining program. In addion $426 million (24%) of works in relaon to the delivery program has been reported to QRA at 31 March as in progress or delivered. The May report also provides an update on progress in other recovery, resilience and migaon acvies. The report profiles the recent launch of the Brisbane River Catchment Flood Study, the most comprehensive flood study ever undertaken in Australia. The flood study maps the Brisbane River’s behaviour across the four council areas of Brisbane, Ipswich, Somerset and Lockyer Valley in South East Queensland with outcomes expected to lead to beer land use planning, migaon and infrastructure works, community awareness and disaster response management. I commend the report to you and recommend its release to the Minister and the public pursuant to Secon 41 of the Act. Yours sincerely Brendan Moon Chief Execuve Officer Queensland Reconstrucon Authority 3 www.qldreconstrucon.org.au Monthly Report ‐ May 2017 3 Contents 1.0 Introducon 1 1.1 Purpose 2 1.2 Timing 2 2.0 Disaster Assistance 3 2.1 Queensland Disaster Assistance Framework 4 2.2 Events and relief measures managed by QRA 5 3.0 Program Status 6 3.1 NDRRA program status 7 3.2 Recovery, resilience and migaon acvies 10 3.3 Program spotlights 12 4.0 Communicaons 15 4.1 Communicang progress 16 4.2 Media reports 17 Appendices Appendix A: Local Government Areas by Region 20 Appendix B: NDRRA acvaons managed by QRA ‐ 2007 to 2014 Events 21 Monthly Report ‐ May 2017 4 www.qldreconstrucon.org.au Secon one: Introduction 1 www.qldreconstrucon.org.au Monthly Report ‐ May 2017 1 1.0 Introducon 1.1 Purpose The Queensland Reconstrucon Authority (QRA) was established on 21 February 2011 under the Queensland Reconstrucon Authority Act 2011 (the Act) following the extensive series of natural disasters that impacted Queensland over the summer of 2010‐11. QRA’s mission is to reconnect, rebuild and improve Queensland communiƟes and its economy. QRA is charged with managing and coordinang the Government’s program of infrastructure renewal and recovery within disaster‐ affected communies, with a focus on working with our state and local government partners to deliver best pracce expenditure of public reconstrucon funds. QRA is also the state’s lead agency responsible for disaster recovery, resilience and migaon policy. In this role QRA is working collaboravely with other agencies and key stakeholders to improve risk reducon and disaster preparedness. Inially established for a two‐year period, QRA was extended a number of mes as its role expanded to cover historical and connuing disaster events. In June 2015, QRA was made permanent, enabling it to connue the crical work of helping Queensland communies effecvely and efficiently recover from the impacts of natural disasters. As part of its role, QRA administers the rebuilding program for Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA) acvated disaster events and is responsible for the acquial of NDRRA funding including Counter Disaster Operaons, Emergent Works, Restoraon of Essenal Public Assets, Category C and Category D assistance to State Departments and Agencies (SDA) and Local Government Authories (LGA). Since its establishment in February 2011, QRA has managed and coordinated the infrastructure reconstrucon and recovery for 64 disaster events acvated for NDRRA relief measures. 1.2 Timing The Commonwealth NDRRA Determinaon imposes me limits for the delivery and acquial of works. The Determinaon provides for a me limit of two financial years aer a disaster to deliver reconstrucon works and a further nine months aer the end of the financial year in which the works were completed in order to acquit the works. NDRRA funding is formally acquied through the annual submission of a financial statement to the Commonwealth comprising claims for financial assistance in respect of state NDRRA expenditure incurred on eligible disasters in the preceding financial year (Commonwealth Claim). Lodgement of Commonwealth Claims is required to secure reimbursement of the Commonwealth’s share of eligible expenditure. As QRA is managing a series of events that occurred across a number of financial years, QRA’s program is spread across various stages in the delivery and acquial phases as follows: Works for 32 disaster events acvated for the 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 event periods are currently in the delivery and/or acquial phases. Subject to acceptance of the 2015‐16 NDRRA Claim by the Commonwealth and other than a small number of projects that received extensions of me for drought‐related impacts, QRA has now finalised the close out of all works up to and including the 2014 events. On 23 March 2017, QRA submied the 2015‐16 NDRRA Claim to the Commonwealth for works completed to 30 June 2016. QRA is acvely engaging with the Commonwealth to facilitate its assurance acvies in order to progress the acquial and reimbursement as soon as possible. QRA is currently working with delivery agents to progress delivery of the 2015 and 2016 event programs and provide advice and assistance with damage assessments and submission preparaon for the more recent 2017 events, including Severe Tropical Cyclone Debbie. Monthly Report ‐ May 2017 2 www.qldreconstrucon.org.au Secon two: Disaster Assistance 33 www.qldreconstrucon.org.au Monthly Report ‐ May 2017 3 2.0 Disaster Assistance 2.1 Queensland Disaster Assistance Framework The available Queensland Disaster Assistance schemes are separated between NDRRA (jointly funded by the Commonwealth and State governments) and non‐NDRRA funding schemes. The diagram below indicates the different elements of assistance available and how each element operates. Figure 2.1.1 Queensland Disaster Assistance Framework Elements of the assistance schemes are delivered by State agencies, however all NDRRA assistance sources (and elements of the non‐ NDRRA assistance schemes) are administered by QRA for historical and connuing disaster events in Queensland. Disaster events managed by QRA The list of the acvated disaster events managed by QRA are set out in Secon 2.2 and can also be found on www.disaster.qld.gov.au. This report includes references to event periods described as follows: 2017 events: Acvated
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