The leaders of rural communities that were devastated by floods earlier this year fear the towns will not survive another disastrous wet season, as pleas for vital infrastructure upgrades are ignored.
Locals were isolated for about four months in the rural communities of Burketown, Doomadgee, Karumba and Normanton after unprecedented floods ravaged the Gulf of Carpentaria in Queensland.
Some rivers reached heights of 19 metres, damaging houses and businesses beyond repair and causing the evacuation of entire towns. Thousands of cattle died.
Leaders of the communities travelled to Canberra in March and met with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and 21 other federal ministers, to plead for $75 million to raise bridges and make the region more flood-resilient.
Hopes for a response and any direct funding were dashed with the release of this year's federal budget.
Burke Shire Council Mayor Ernie Camp, whose district was hardest hit by the floods, said he feared locals would leave if struck by another disaster.
"We need to see some vast improvement in the next year otherwise these communities will die," he said.
Indigenous leaders in the Aboriginal shire of Doomadgee — one of the most disadvantaged communities in Australia — said the radio silence from the government was an example of how "the Voice to Parliament won't work".
"We've already got a voice … but no one is listening … it's a disgrace," Doomadgee community leader and Gangalidda traditional owner Clarence Walden said.
Rural towns 'cop the worst while giving the most'
The hard-hit Burke Shire desperately needed main river crossings and bridges raised by at least 1.5m before the next wet season, Mr Camp said.
"We cannot be isolated for this long again … you can't sustain a community when you're locked away for that long, we won't survive," he said.
As a major mining and agricultural centre for Australia, Mr Camp said communities like those in outback Queensland were copping the least while contributing the most to the national economy.
"It's thanks to communities like ours that this country fared so well through the pandemic, and we are struggling to get a few bridges raised so that our towns can survive," he said.
Mr Camp's sentiments were echoed by the leader of the National Party David Littleproud.
"Rather than saying thank you to regional Australia for the budget surplus, which has been propped up by our resources and agricultural sectors, the minister has actually passed the bill on to regional Australia," he said.
Voices of flood-hit Aboriginal residents fall on deaf ears
After an extensive and unsuccessful effort from gulf representatives and Aboriginal leaders to garner support for the flood-ravaged region, Indigenous residents have been left wondering how the Voice to Parliament will have any meaningful effect on their lives.
"The Voice is not going to help us one little bit … it won't work," said Mr Walden, who has seen the failure of many government initiatives over the years in his Doomadgee community.
Katter's Australian Party MP Bob Katter said the budget was an example of the government failing to invest in the prosperity of rural communities.
"The government … never looks to advance economic prosperity, which these communities that provide so much for Australia, through cattle, fishing and mining industries, are crying out for," Mr Katter said.
