2019 monsoon trough rainfall and flood event formal: Independent report on the effectiveness of recovery after three years

This report presents the results of the assessment of the effectiveness of the state government activities to support the recovery of the 39 local government areas (LGAs) impacted by the North and Far North Queensland monsoon trough from 25 January to 14 February 2019.

The North and Far North Queensland Monsoon Trough State Recovery Plan 2019-2021 (Monsoon Trough State Recovery Plan) outlines the priorities and actions across the five lines of recovery for the period 15 July 2019 to 30 June 2021. The development of event specific local recovery plans for 14 LGAs by councils was a noteworthy achievement, being the first time five Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander councils prepared event specific local recovery plans.

The duration and geographical extent of the monsoonal flooding occurred within the context of cumulative impacts of several years of severe drought and other events impacting the LGAs. Less than one year after the event, the COVID-19 pandemic began. Subsequent concurrent and cascading disaster events, coupled with COVID-19, created compounding impacts and complex operating environments for the LGAs recovering from the 2019 Monsoon Trough event.