Flooding in Roma early last year. Picture: Rob Maccoll Source: The Courier-Mail
DEPUTY Premier Jeff Seeney has challenged the Federal Government to cover the shortfall in funding for a $30 million flood levee in Roma, after three floods in two years.
Mr Seeney and Premier Campbell Newman have today visited Roma to announce $12 million in funding under the Royalties for Regions program including $5 million for the levee construction.
The town was most recently flooded last month when 450 homes were inundated again.
Many residents affected are yet to return to their properties.
Mr Seeney said it was important to realise that while the State Government did well out of the region's development, so did the Federal Government, and they should follow Queensland's lead.
"The Federal Government does particularly well out of all of the resource industry development in this part of the world and just as we've returned some of the royalties to the region, I think the federal government needs to return some of their income to the infrastructure that makes it possible," he said.
"There is a very strong case for Federal Government funding for the Toowoomba bypass and the Warrego Highway and we'll be looking for commitment from both sides of politics in the lead up to the federal election to get those commitments nailed down."
Mr Newman said he hoped the insurance companies would respond to the flood mitigation work being announced today, and lower premiums for home owners.
Member for Warrego Howard Hobbs said some properties had experienced 800 per cent increases in insurance premiums in the last two years, after spending $200 million to repair flood damaged homes.
If the flood levee goes ahead only one property would be worse off, and would likely qualify for assistance to raise their home.
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