More Shires receive flood support

Flood-affected primary producers in the local government areas of South Burnett, Gladstone and Scenic Rim and targeted areas in Banana, Goondiwindi, Ipswich, Somerset, Southern Downs and Toowoomba will now be able to apply for Category C assistance under the jointly funded Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA).

The move came after the State Government successfully lobbied the Commonwealth Government.

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry John McVeigh said the Newman Government had worked hard over the past week to secure the funding.

“Category C provides clean up and recovery grants up to $25,000, for primary producers and small businesses,” Mr McVeigh said.

For primary producers, Local Government areas eligible for Category C assistance now include:

• Bundaberg Regional Council
• Fraser Coast Regional Council
• North Burnett Regional Council
• Lockyer Valley Regional Council
• Gympie Regional Council
• South Burnett Regional Council
• Gladstone Regional Council
• Scenic Rim Regional Council, Ipswich City Council (part) and Somerset Regional Council (part) areas. The boundary of this area includes:

            - all of the Scenic Rim Regional Council area

            - Somerset Regional Council south of the D’Aguilar Highway.

            - Division 10 of the Ipswich City Council area.

• Parts of Southern Downs Regional Council including:

            - east of Keoghs Road, Old Stanthorpe Road, New England Highway to where it joins the Cunningham Highway

            - North of the Cunningham Highway and east of the Warwick-Pratton Road.

• Parts of Goondiwindi Regional Council including:

            - west of the Yelarbon-Keetah Rd, Merton Road, Kelmans Rd, Wyaga Rd, the Gore Highway, Yagaburne-Boondandilla Rd, and the eastern boundary of lots 4 and 5 on PG97

            - east of the Lapgate Rd,  Bungunya – Alton Rd,  North Aranyi Rd, the eastern boundary of lot 12 on CVN221, North Talwood Rd, Talwood – Mungindi Rd.

• Parts of  Banana Regional Council including:

            - west of the Callide and Auburn Ranges; and

            - east of the Banana and Cooper ranges and then east of the Baralaba-Rannes Rd

• Parts of Toowoomba Regional Council including:

            - area south and east of the Gatton - Clifton Rd, the Greenmount- Hirstville Rd, the Nobby Connection Rd, the New England Highway, the Felton - Clifton Rd, the Back Plains Rd, the Doolan Rd, and the Clifton - Pittsworth Rd.

Category C grants provide for two tiers of assistance, with Tier 1 being an initial cash grant up to $5,000 to allow immediate repair activities and a subsequent grant requiring proof of expenditure for larger scale works.

Primary producers and small businesses should keep all receipts and invoices of expenditure and contact the Queensland Rural Adjustment Authority (QRAA) on 1800 623 946 to discuss eligibility.

Mr McVeigh thanked all of the industry organisations and councils which had supplied the necessary information to build a case for Category C.

“It was this first-hand information about just how severe the flood damage is that convinced our federal counterparts that Queensland farmers and businesses really needed that extra level of support to start the massive rebuilding task,” he said.

“We are also continuing to negotiate with the Federal Government on a range of Category D measures for the worst hit areas, including assistance with clean-up, industry and financial planning advice, employment programs and exceptional disaster loans.”

[ENDS] 12 February 2013

Media Contact: Lachlan Millar 0407 394 580