Monthly Report March 2011 Message from the Chief Executive Officer
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Monthly Report March 2011 Message from the Chief Executive Officer Major General Mick Slater Chairman Queensland Reconstruction Authority Dear Major General Slater It is with pleasure that I present the first monthly report to the Board of the Some of the highlights include: Queensland Reconstruction Authority (the Authority). • 99% of Queensland disaster activated as at 11 March 2011 The Authority was established under the Queensland Reconstruction Authority Act • $231 million donated to the Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal as at 3 2011 following the recent unprecedented natural disasters which struck Queensland March 2011 between November 2010 and February 2011. The Authority is charged with • in excess of 630,000 claims for Australian Government Disaster managing and coordinating the Government’s program of infrastructure Recovery Payments granted, resulting in more than $725 million in paid reconstruction and recovery within disaster-affected communities. claims • 9,170km of Queensland’s state road network affected and 41% The Authority will work closely with local governments and communities to ensure the recovered as at 3 March 2011 unique characteristics of each community are included in the rebuilding process and • 29% of the Queensland Rail network damaged and 26% recovered as at to coordinate government and non-government organisations to deliver the 3 March 2011 necessary services to help communities rebuild. • power restored to more than 475,000 homes and businesses, and • the Join Forces Program established There are three phases of Authority activities: Subsequent reports over the next two years will detail reconstruction activities Recovery Reconstruction Transition across the State undertaken along the six lines of reconstruction outlined in the Jan 11 – Jun 11 Jun 11 – Dec 12 Dec 12 – Dec 13 State Plan. Since the disasters, the focus has largely been on recovery and planning for the I commend the report to you and recommend its release to the Minister and the reconstruction phase. Given the magnitude of the task, there is a need for a firm public pursuant to Section 41 of the Queensland Reconstruction Authority Act foundation in terms of planning and approval processes. 2011. This report focuses on the progress that has been made to date since the disasters Yours sincerely took place. The progress in restoring essential services to Queenslanders and in laying the foundations for a comprehensive recovery phase has been considerable. Graeme Newton Chief Executive Officer Queensland Reconstruction Authority 2 Contents Section 1 Framing the Challenge 4 Section 2 The Queensland Reconstruction Authority 7 Section 3 Situational Report: Recovery 11 Section 3.1 Scale of Impact 11 Section 3.2 Human and Social 12 Section 3.3 Economic 13 Section 3.4 Environment 14 Section 3.5 Building Recovery 15 Section 3.6 Roads and Transport 16 Section 3.7 Community Engagement and Communication 17 Appendix A NDRRA Activations 18 Appendix B Local Government Areas by Region 19 Appendix C NDRRA Instruments of Declaration 20 Appendix D Road and Rail Network Recovery Maps 25 3 1.0 Framing the Challenge 1.1 Overview Between November 2010 and February 2011 Queensland was struck by a series of natural disasters. Extensive flooding caused by periods of extremely heavy rainfall, and destruction caused by a number of storm cells including Cyclones Tasha, Anthony and Yasi has resulted in 99% of Queensland being declared disaster- affected. In response to the disaster events, the Queensland Government established the Queensland Reconstruction Authority (the Authority), pursuant to the Queensland Reconstruction Authority Act 2011. The Authority’s mission is to reconnect, rebuild and improve Queensland communities and its economy. The activities of the Authority will occur under the auspices of a comprehensive and integrated State Community, Economic and Environmental Recovery and Reconstruction Plan, also known as Operation Queenslander (the State Plan or Plan). This Plan is a roadmap centred along six lines of reconstruction and provides strategic level guidance to reinforce the recovery work that has already begun and sets the framework for rebuilding and improving Queensland. The Authority will be responsible for providing central coordination, control, funding, and reporting across these activities. Responsibility for delivery will be decentralised across responsible agencies aligned with the six lines of reconstruction. 1.2 Background The natural disaster events that led to the creation of the Queensland Reconstruction Authority are summarised on the following pages. 4 5 Figure 1: NDRRA Activation Measures 1.3 Declarations In the period between November 2010 and February 2011 Commonwealth and State Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA) were activated in 72 of the 73 local government areas in Queensland. There were three disaster declarations which activated these measures, spanning a series of events: • Queensland Flooding and Tropical Cyclones Tasha and Anthony, November 2010 to February 2011 • Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi on 2 February 2011, and • Queensland Monsoonal Flooding Event on 28 February 2011 The third declaration was made since the establishment of the Authority. The NDRRA categories invoked by these declarations are detailed in the adjacent map (figure 1) and Appendix A. The percentage of each region activated is summarised in figure 2 below. 100% of South East, Central, Southern, and North Queensland were activated. The local government areas making up each region are listed in Appendix B. Figure 2: NDRRA Activation Measures QLD SEQ SQ CQ NQ Source: Disaster Management Queensland as at 11 March 2011 FNQ Figure 3: NDRRA Activation Measures 90% 92% 94% 96% 98% 100% SEQ Source: Disaster Management Queensland as at 11 March 2011 SQ Copies of the instruments of declaration are provided in Appendix C. A breakdown of CQ the activations by month and region is shown in figure 3 and illustrates the timing of the weather events in the various regions across Queensland. During December, NQ Southern and Central Queensland were most impacted by the rain depression FNQ resulting from Cyclone Tasha. In January, South East Queensland was affected by 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% the flooding in Ipswich and Brisbane, and in February North and Far North Queensland December 2010 Activations January 2011 Activations were hit by Cyclone Yasi. The more recent monsoonal rains have caused further February 2011 Activations March 2011 Activations flooding impacts in regional Queensland. Source: Disaster Management Queensland as at 11 March 2011 6 • 2.0 The Queensland Reconstruction Authority 2.1 Establishment 2.1.1 Legislation 2.1.4 Functions and Powers The Queensland Reconstruction Authority Act 2011 (the Act) established the The functions of the Authority include: Authority to manage and coordinate the Government’s program of infrastructure reconstruction and recovery within disaster-affected communities. • deciding priorities for community infrastructure and community services needed for the rebuilding and recovery of affected communities The Queensland Reconstruction Authority (the Authority) was formally established • working closely with disaster-affected communities to ensure each on 21 February 2011. community’s needs are recognised in the rebuilding and recovery of the communities 2.1.2 Minister • collecting and collating information about community infrastructure and other property, and community services, damaged or otherwise affected in The Authority reports to the Premier, as Minister for Reconstruction, through the a disaster event State Government’s Flood Recovery Cabinet Committee, and to the Board. • developing an arrangement for sharing data across all levels of government to facilitate effective and efficient exchange of information to 2.1.3 Board facilitate the rebuilding and recovery of affected communities • coordinating and distributing financial assistance for affected communities; The Board oversees the Authority. Membership of the Board comprises: • effecting the strategic priorities of the Board • facilitating flood mitigation for affected communities and ensuring the • Major General Mick Slater (Chair) rebuilding and recovery of affected communities is effectively and • two members nominated by the Australian Government - Mr Brad Orgill, efficiently carried out and appropriate having regard to the nature of the Head of The Building the Education Revolution (BER) Implementation disaster event, and Taskforce and Ms Glenys Beauchamp, Secretary of the Department of • if requested by the Minister, providing advice to effect recommendations of Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government the Commission of Inquiry into the floods - particularly any • one person nominated by the Local Government Association of recommendations relating to flood mitigation or land use planning Queensland - Brian Guthrie, former CEO of Townsville City Council, and • three other persons with expertise or experience in engineering, planning The Authority is not responsible for reviewing events or decisions leading up to the or another field considered appropriate by the Minister - former BP Brisbane floods. This is the responsibility of the Commission of Inquiry. executive Kathy Hirschfeld, former Director-General Main Roads, Steve Golding, and Jim McKnoulty, an expert in local government planning and development matters 7 2.1.5 Relationship with Commonwealth • measuring reconstruction performance through the collection