QLD:$900m spent on Qld reconstruction

AAP General News (Australia)
08-24-2011
QLD:$900m spent on Qld reconstruction

By Kym Agius

BRISBANE, Aug 24 AAP - About $900 million of the $6.8 billion earmarked for the reconstruction
of Queensland after last summer's floods and cyclones has been spent.

The Queensland Reconstruction Authority on Wednesday briefed a state parliament finance
and administration committee on its progress to date.

The authority's chief executive Graeme Newton said $385 million in projects were completed,
and a further $512 million in projects were out to tender or under construction.

"We're progressing quite well," Mr Newton told AAP.

He said the main challenge for councils and state agencies has been mobilising the
construction phase, putting jobs to tender and getting things moving.

About 30 per cent of the Queensland Rail network was damaged in the disasters and 9000km
of state roads.

The committee's chairman, Ipswich West MP Wayne Wendt, said 92 per cent of affected
state roads had reopened, although not in perfect condition.

"I'm extremely impressed with what's occurred," Mr Wendt told AAP.

"In the short space of seven months we've come a very long way."

The committee also heard that as of February, 97,000 insurance claims had been reported
with an estimated reserved value of $2.8 billion.

And 630,000 claims for Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payments had been granted,
resulting in more than $725 million in claims paid.

As of March, $231 million had been donated to the Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal.

About 3000 homes and businesses were flood affected in Mr Wendt's electorate.

He said insurance companies had been holding up progress, with households having to
wait for approved contractors.

"People who are actually beneficiaries of the premier's relief fund would appear to
be ... more advanced, are in their homes or are more advanced in getting into their homes,"

Mr Wendt said.

AAP ka/gd/jhp

KEYWORD: RECOVERY

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