In December 2025 through January 2026, a monsoon trough and subsequent flooding severely impacted North West Queensland, isolating communities. This is on the background of some of these communities still recovering from the last significant flood events.
Initially five of the seven shires which are covered by North West Hospital and Health service (NWHHS) were disaster activated. Over the next month the other two shires, Doomadgee and Mornington Island were also disaster declared from the Monsoon Trough and Flooding. This area covers approximately 300 000 square kilometres and seven separate council shires and fifteen distinct and different traditional Custodian groups.
In planning recovery for the 2025/26 event, the NWHHS Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs (MHAOD) service considered outcomes from the North and Far North Queensland Monsoon Trough State Recovery Plan 2019-2021 as well as anecdotal evidence and community feedback.
Recognizing these challenges, the NWHHS MHAOD service pivoted away from the traditional disaster recovery model of deploying external clinician teams. This decision was driven by two factors: chronic recruitment difficulties and clear community feedback indicating a preference for existing local relationships over.
The revised recovery proposal focused on enhancing the capacity and resilience of workers and supports already embedded within the region. This community-led approach prioritises:
- Increased Presence: Enhancing travel and visibility in smaller, isolated communities.
- Capacity Building: Upskilling local staff who possess established trust.
- Targeted Training: Providing community training based on specific needs identified by the residents themselves.
By moving toward an internal support model, the NWHHS aims to build long-term regional resilience that respects the social fabric and preferences of North West Queensland’s diverse populations.