Collaborating with councils
The Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) and the Queensland Government have partnered to fund and implement the Queensland Climate Resilient Councils (QCRC) program.
The Queensland Government invests $3.5 million into the program which supports local governments to plan for the challenges and opportunities that climate change brings. Through collaboration, this program helps build staff skills and capacity and strengthens decision-making processes. This will better position councils to address climate risks and opportunities.
The Queensland Climate Resilient Councils program:
- helps councils identify barriers that hamper or prevent effective climate change consideration and action in council decision-making
- provides councils with accurate, appropriately targeted, fit-for-purpose information, training and resources to embed and accelerate best-practice climate risk management
- supports councils to better account for climate change in statutory and corporate documents, systems and processes following a detailed governance assessment.
As part of this investment, the Queensland Government is providing councils over $1 million to trial or implement local, innovative climate management approaches and priority projects. The three grants programs are:
- Climate Risk Management Strategies
- Climate Resilient Alliances
- Great Barrier Reef Islands Decarbonisation Projects.
Climate Risk Management Strategies grant program
The $330,000 program provides councils with funding to prepare climate risk management strategies that steer actions, planning and implementation, and help set up communities and industries for future success. Recipients will trial and test the effectiveness and applicability of the draft Climate Risk Management Framework for Queensland Local Governments and its companion guideline.
The recipients are:
- Tablelands Regional Council
- Noosa Shire Council and Sunshine Coast Council (joint application).
Climate Resilient Alliances grant program
The $200,000 program involves forming multi-council alliances to support community-wide actions that harness low-carbon economy opportunities and build resilience to climate change.
The recipients are:
- Far North Queensland Alliance – consisting of Cairns Regional Council, Mareeba Shire Council, Tablelands Regional Council and the Far North Regional Organisation of Councils
- Southeast Queensland Alliance – consisting of Logan City Council, Ipswich City Council, Brisbane City Council, Sunshine Coast Council and Noosa Shire Council.
Great Barrier Reef Islands Decarbonisation Projects grant program
The $500,000 program assists councils to deliver on-ground, community-supported priority projects developed through the Decarbonisation of the Great Barrier Reef Islands whole-of-island community pilot.
The recipients are:
- Livingstone Shire Council – Great Keppel Island
- Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council – Palm Island
- Torres Strait Island Regional Council – Masig Island
- Townsville City Council – Magnetic Island.
Find out more at the Queensland Climate Resilient Councils website.