A new three-month roadmap will guide the city’s community recovery efforts as Ipswich continues to bounce back from the impacts of two serious flood events earlier this year.
The Severe Weather February 2022 Recovery Plan provides actions for July to September including a range of recovery efforts focused on long-term displacement of people and families, uninhabitable homes, the lengthy rebuild process and promoting community resilience.
Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said the community could have confidence recovery efforts were well coordinated and that all levels of government, along with various community agencies, were working to ensure the city’s speedy recovery.
“Flood waters caused devastating damage across Ipswich to almost 600 dwellings, 300 businesses, more than 250 vehicles, as well as loss of livestock and livelihoods,” Mayor Harding said.
“The plan outlines the recovery process as a whole of government, whole of community responsibility, combining with the work of many other groups and agencies to help our community reach a point where they are sustainable and resilient.
“Moving forward our focus is on restoration, rebuilding, reshaping and sustainability while ensuring the region is better prepared for any future disasters.”
Local Recovery and Resilience Group Chairperson Councillor Kate Kunzelmann said to meet disaster recovery objectives, there were four taskforces created focusing on Economic, Human and Social, Environment, and Infrastructure aspects of recovery.
“Parts of Ipswich recorded more than twice the average summer rainfall during the event and our community has been severely impacted as roads, parks and infrastructure right across Ipswich was left damaged by the flooding,” Cr Kunzelmann said.
“The taskforces set out in the plan are chaired by council officers and consist of a wide range of other government agencies, community organisations and community representatives working together to identify and prioritise recovery needs.
“Council has undertaken $5.4 million in recovery works with about $1.3 million of that paid for by state and federal recovery grants.
“Council allocated $30 million in its 2022-2023 Budget for flood recovery which will be spent on things like repairs to parks, sporting fields, roads, facilities and conservation estates.”
Local recovery activities in Ipswich as of June 2022:
- Insurance claims made: 4,888
- Insurance claims closed rate: 19 per cent
- Number of people assisted with recovery outreach: 15,486
- Registrations for Flood Resilient Homes Fund: 347
- Emergency Hardship Grants paid: $2,516,240
- Personal Hardship Assistance paid: $4,652,068
- Community and corporate donations: $29,514
To view the Severe Weather February 2022 Recovery Plan go to: https://www.ipswich.qld.gov.au/services/flood-recovery
