IN the wake of Cyclone Alfred, a political dispute has erupted between candidates for the Federal seat of Blair over funding for the Ipswich Showgrounds evacuation centre.
LNP candidate Carl Mutzelburg has been advocating for upgrades to the facility, which serves as the region’s largest emergency evacuation centre.
“The centre played a critical role in the emergency response to Tropical Cyclone Alfred, but its facilities are currently extremely stretched,” Mr Mutzelburg said.
“As recently as two weeks ago, Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley attended the Showgrounds to gain a firsthand understanding of the issue.”
However, current Federal Member for Blair Shayne Neumann contested Mr Mutzelburg’s claims, highlighting that the Albanese Government had already secured and delivered funding for the centre last year.
“This shows how lethargic and desperate his campaign has become, taking credit for the Government’s commitments, commitments we have already delivered funding for,” Mr Neumann said.
“In May last year, I joined Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt at the Ipswich Showgrounds to announce a $6 million investment from the Albanese Government for upgrades that will enhance the Ipswich Showgrounds’ ability to serve the community in times of emergency.
“That funding has been delivered to the Ipswich Show Society through the Australian Government’s Investing in Our Communities Program and Protecting Our Communities (Disaster Resilience) Program.”
Mr Neumann further outlined how the funding was allocated, with $4.5 million directed towards general upgrades as part of the redevelopment and an additional $1.5 million to improve amenities that would provide shelter for displaced residents during disasters.
“As an Ipswich local, I have witnessed the devastation in our community from the 1974 floods and, as the Member for Blair, helped to deliver support and recovery from floods in 2011, 2013, 2022, and from ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred in 2025,” Mr Neumann said.
Mr Neumann also pointed to broader federal disaster resilience initiatives, including the Disaster Ready Fund, which delivered $2.085 million to Somerset Regional Council for heatwave mitigation and $1.02 million for flood mitigation in Toogoolawah.
Despite this, Mr Mutzelburg remained firm in his call for further improvements.
“The weather events of the last two weeks have shown the incredible importance of disaster resilience and emergency management preparedness in Ipswich and Somerset,” he said.
“There’s always more that can be done to improve preparedness and mitigate the impact of future disasters.”
