The Degarra community on the Bloomfield River will have significantly improved access with the announcement Douglas Shire Council has been successful in a grant application for its Degarra Causeways Access Flood Upgrade Project.

Two causeways across the Woobadda River will be raised to maintain access during floods.

The Commonwealth and State Government will contribute 70 per cent of the total cost of the $858,130 Degarra project under the Natural Disaster Resilience Program.

Funding is allocated under the NDRP to assist organisations in the implementation of natural disaster mitigation projects aimed at improving community resilience by reducing communities’ exposure to the risk, damage and losses from natural disasters.

Mayor Julia Leu said the project would assist the community in staying connected to the outside world in the event of a flood.

“Raising the existing causeway crossings will improve the flood immunity of the sole access to Degarra and assist in providing recovery assistance, continuity of essential services and connectivity between the communities in the Bloomfield Valley,” Mayor Leu said.

Local reaction to the announcement to the reaction was positive, with Ayton IGA owner Julie Smith frequent floods in the area often left the Degarra community cut off.

"I think it's great," Ms Smith said. 

"It floods every year here, sometimes several times a year, and there's plenty of people living on the south side of the river that get cut off when that happens."

Cr Leu said DSC had secured a very good deal from the State and Federal governments to fund the project.

“Under the terms of the Natural Disaster Resilience Program, applicants are meant to contribute 60 per cent of the overall project cost, so it is a tribute to the strength of Council’s application that funding was approved with a contribution of only 30 per cent, delivering a very important project at minimal expense.”

The project is required to be delivered before the end of the 2014/15 financial year and Council will contribute $257,565.