Queensland local government areas hit hardest by the 2022 floods will receive funding to upgrade warning indicators such as cameras, rainfall and river height gauges, and sensors. 

A $7 million Federal Government investment will deliver 170 projects comprising 260 flood warning assets across 23 councils from Balonne through the southeast to Gladstone. 

Councils, Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads, and the Bureau of Meteorology have identified requirements. Each council will receive $235,000, with a further $1 million going to 14 high-priority projects recommended by the bureau. 

Queensland Reconstruction Authority Minister Nikki Boyd says the latest disaster season has again shown the need to ensure the Flood Warning Infrastructure Network is robust. 

“While we recover, we also need to keep preparing for the natural disasters we will inevitably face in the years ahead,” she said. “Doing this will put us in a stronger position to both weather the storm and recover from its impacts.” 

The state’s flood warning network features more than 3300 rainfall and river gauges operated by about 60 entities across government and the private sector. 

Support for the improvements is through the Emergency Response Fund and is part of a $75 million commitment to the Queensland Flood Recovery and Resilience Package backing projects across the state’s south.