Community & Business
31 March, 2026
Clifton omitted from Disaster Recovery Grants
Clifton has seemingly been omitted from disaster relief funding, despite severe storms on the 26th of October being listed as a disaster event for SEQ.
Glynn Knights applied for funding from the Sport and Recreation Disaster Recovery Program (SRDRP).
He thought the Clifton Bowls Club ought to be a shoe in.
On the Queensland Reconstruction Authority website the event listed as ‘SEQ Severe Storms 26th of October 2025’ was declared a disaster and had the Toowoomba Local Government Area listed as one of the areas affected.
Glynn assumed this would extend to the devastating hailstorm that rocked Clifton on the 1st of November, just five days afterwards in the same local government area.
However Mr Knights was wrong.
He was knocked back, the reason cited was that he and the Bowls Club: “Didn’t demonstrate that the damage occurred along the guidelines.”
Mr Knights went back and checked.
Neither Clifton nor the 1st of November had been listed anywhere.
The Clifton Courier has made contact with the Queensland Reconstruction Authority three times.
On one of those occasions, after a lengthy hold, the Queensland Reconstruction Authority flatly refused to give any information in relation to Clifton being listed in the areas declared disasters.
Being declared a disaster means the town would be eligible for funding from October 2025 SEQ Severe Storms.
This was after the Authority was able to look up and give information, to the extent of which streets were eligible for funding, from a South Coast disaster.
Pat Weir, State Member for Condamine admits that in the past we have seen certain areas overlooked.
“Clifton should have been included,” he said.
Mr Weir has since contacted the Minister’s office to see how this happened.
“I’m making inquiries to find how that determination was made and its status,” he said.
The way that a disaster allocation works is a bit convoluted.
Local Government makes recommendations to the State Government, the relevant Minister and Premier, who then declare a particular event a disaster.
Glynn Knight was told by a council staff member that Clifton was recommended for a disaster allocation.
The Toowoomba Regional Council has been contacted for comment.
The concern here is how were we missed?
Was it because of the hyper-localised nature of the event?
Are other small towns at risk of being overlooked?
This oversight is a real, tangible disadvantage for small regional towns.
Every effort residents make to support one another puts us a step behind towns with services.
The concern here is that towns like Clifton will be forgotten again.
The omission sets a dangerous precedent;
If disasters aren’t widespread, or cause enough damage, are they disasters?
Or are freak weather events only disasters when they impact larger population centres?
Toowoomba Regional Council was contacted for a comment but did not respond.
The TRC has however let The Clifton Courier know that it is conducting its own enquiries.
Mr Weir has also contacted the Queensland Minister for Fire, Disaster Recovery and Volunteers Ann Leahy MP to find out how this omission has come about.
However, with a litany of support from Government available and plenty of work still to be done around town, it doesn’t leave a good taste in the mouth of Cliftonites.
Residents are those here, the ones who help each other out and support one another.
It’s them who ought to be empowered if anything.
