Fierce opposition to disaster recovery funding changes in Queensland

Sat 6 Jun 2026 at 4:13pm

Sat 6 Jun 2026 at 4:13pm

In short:

The Commonwealth government has announced plans to split state and federal funding for disaster recovery 50/50.

Under the current Disaster Recovery Framework Arrangements the split between the Commonwealth and the Queensland government is 65/35.

What's next?

The Queensland government and the Local Government Association of Queensland say they will fight the planned changes.

Queensland's minister for disaster recovery says the state's bridges will be left "half repaired" and its roads will "remain in ruins" under changes to the federal government's disaster funding.

Under the new Disaster Recovery Framework, funding to communities impacted by natural disasters will be split 50/50 between state, territory and federal governments.

Previously the split was 64/36 with the Commonwealth tipping in the bigger share.

In the 2024-25 financial year the Queensland government received just under $1.3 billion in Commonwealth disaster recovery funding through the framework.

An independent review of Commonwealth disaster funding shows Queensland will face the biggest impact from the changes, as it receives the highest proportion of Commonwealth reimbursement.

Queensland's Minister for Disaster Recovery Ann Leahy said the federal government was "risking recovery as we know it in the most decentralised and disaster-prone state".

"Their actions will result in situations where bridges get half repaired and roads remain in ruins, at a time when local councils won't have the capacity to meet the shortfall," she said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the changes were about "fast-tracking funding" and removing red tape and bureaucracy.

"Before my government was elected, there wasn't a national emergency management agency in place," he said.

"These changes will ensure faster support through a simpler scheme that is in place. It should not be an ad hoc arrangement."

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli told Channel Seven's Sunrise program he would fight the changes "tooth and nail."

"In the end the pie's only so big, and you're effectively saying to local communities in their hour of need: 'you have you pick which road you're going to repair, you're going to have to pick which gutter gets done,'" he said.

"That's an insane scenario."

'Changes will hurt Queensland'

Local Government Assocation of Queensland chief executive Alison Smith said in a statement the changes were a "real sucker punch".

"After the 2026 summer season where 71 of 77 LGAs [local government areas] were disaster impacted, [we had] two cyclones and monsoonal flooding which lasted for five months across much of the state," she said.

"These disaster recovery changes will hurt Queensland communities and rob them of their ability to recover quickly."

Federal Minister for Climate Change Chris Bowen said the changes were a "fair arrangement".

"Every state and territory is exposed to impacts of climate change, not just Queensland," he said.

"We'll work consistently across the board with every state and territory. Every community is subject to increasing natural disasters."