04/01/2012

The RACQ Foundation has given another $678,000 to flood affected community organisations and charities assisting flood victims in Brisbane and Ipswich to help them rebuild after last summer’s floods.

As the anniversary of Queensland’s “summer of horror” approaches, RACQ Chief Operations Officer Glenn Toms said many families and community organisations were still struggling to recover and repair damaged properties and businesses a year down the track.

“Since the floods and Cyclone Yasi devastated communities across Queensland in late 2010 and early 2011, the RACQ Foundation has allocated more than $5 million to over 92 grassroots community and sporting organisations across the state to help them get back up and running again – both physically and financially,” Mr Toms said.

“We set up the RACQ Foundation last January as part of the Club’s $20 million assistance package – with the primary purpose of helping affected community organisations recover and charity organisations to provide ongoing assistance to flood and cyclone victims.”

The latest round of RACQ Foundation funding includes the following donations:

• $175,000 to the APEX Australia Community Flood Appeal, to provide flood affected families in Graceville and surrounding Brisbane suburbs with gift cards to spend on fridges, washing machines and other household items
• $124,000 to the Rotary Club Ipswich North to provide home owners in the Ipswich/Karalee area with building materials such as dry wall sheeting and kitchen packs
• $110,000 to the Queensland Theatre Company in South Brisbane to replace costumes and props lost in the floods
• $200,000 to the Metropolitan Districts Netball Association in Coorparoo, Brisbane, to replace flood-damaged netball courts
• $19,100 to Goodna Little Athletics near Ipswich to replace sporting, canteen and office equipment destroyed by the floods
• $50,000 to the Croatian Community Centre in Rocklea, Brisbane, to restore the centre’s facilities to pre-flood conditions - including function hall, kitchen, library and office.

Mr Toms said organisations impacted by the floods could apply for funding up to $200,000 per project to repair, replace or rebuild damaged properties, buildings, equipment and assets.

“The funding can help disaster-affected communities overcome challenging hurdles to get back into the position they were in before the natural disasters struck,” he said.