Toowoomba Regional Council is pushing on with its fight with the Federal and State governments for greater funding support for the $266.1 million Cressbrook Dam Safety Improvement Project.
The council applied for $97 million in funding last month from round three of the Australian Government’s Disaster Ready Fund.
The council has also provided a revised budget submission to the Queensland State Government for consideration of the project’s inclusion in their 2025/26 State Budget to be handed down next month.
Toowoomba Region Mayor Geoff McDonald said securing funding for the project was critical for the region and remained a key focus of Council.
“Earlier this year, Council submitted both 2025/26 Federal and State Budget Submissions advocating for government support for the $266.1 million project, it remains our top infrastructure funding priority,’’ Cr McDonald said.
“Following on from this, we’ve again written to the Queensland Treasurer and Queensland Minister for Water with a revised budget submission detailing a request for a staged approach to CDSIP (Cressbrook Dam Safety Improvement Project) funding over multiple years.
“Despite careful financial planning, council can’t carry the cost of the Cressbrook Dam project alone without postponing other major infrastructure developments and potentially reassessing the scope and quality of delivering essential local government services.
“Based on the current project budget of $266.1 million, the additional cost to ratepayers from the Cressbrook Dam Safety Improvement Project remains at a present value of approximately $135 per year for every rateable property year-on-year without external funding support.
“Toowoomba Region ratepayers should not have to bear the full cost of this project, which ultimately protects landholders outside the Toowoomba Region.
“Our Council needs fair, timely, and united funding from the State and Federal Governments to deliver the services and facilities to our growing communities deserve and demand.”
The outcome of Council’s $97 million funding application for round three of the Australian Government’s Disaster Ready Fund 2025-26 will be determined later this year.
The Queensland State Government is expected to hand down its 2025/26 Budget on Tuesday, June 24, 2025.