North West councils welcome cash to build stronger roads and bridges

Last week $92 million in funding was announced to help communities deal with the growing number of extreme weather events.

As part of the funding, the North Queensland Resilience Program will see $45 million for projects identified by local councils.

North West Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils Chair, mayor Jack Bawden, said the group had been advocating for this level of financial commitment to deliver on plans to build stronger roads and bridges and protect the region's communities, business, and environment.

"We've had more than our fair share of natural disasters in recent years and now more than ever this funding is crucial," he said.

"Our councils are ready to get stuck in to projects that will make our communities and businesses safe and resilient so we can take the knocks when mother nature calls as she likes to do up here."

The organisation of councils includes; Burke, Carpentaria, Cloncurry, Croydon, Doomadgee, Etheridge, Flinders, McKinlay, Mornington, Mount Isa City and Richmond Shires.

This funding follows the $119 million funding package announced last month to help communities following the 2023 monsoonal floods experienced across northern and central Queensland.

The funding is expected to help with road closures. In January, a section the Routh Creek bridge on the Gulf Development Road between Mount Surprise and Georgetown collapsed following severe flooding.

"Not only is this (bridge) the main road leading into Georgetown, it's a major transport route further into the Gulf and it's already starting to impact on resupply to places like Croydon and Normanton," Etheridge Shire Council Mayor Barry Hughes said at the time.