Mackay declared a “disaster situation”

The Queensland Government has declared Mackay a “disaster situation” in the wake of intense rain and widespread flooding this morning.

Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts said the Government activated flood assistance for the Mackay region yesterday, but the ‘disaster situation’ declaration was necessary in the rapidly developing circumstances.

Mr Roberts said by declaring a ‘disaster situation’ under the Disaster Management Act 2003 the Government can exercise a range of powers, such as the evacuation of people and animals, to ensure public safety and public order.

“These powers were activated in response to flooding of Emerald last month. These powers are triggered as a precaution to assist our police and emergency services in the immediate response,” Mr Roberts said.

“I urge all residents to monitor updates on the flooding situation. No one should try to drive through, walk or swim in floodwaters – it is too dangerous.”

“Financial assistance for residents, producers, small businesses and councils for the Mackay region was activated yesterday.”

Primary Industries Minister and Member for Mackay Tim Mulherin is based at the Queensland Police Service regional headquarters at Sydney Street, Mackay.

“The situation in Mackay is very serious and it is rapidly developing. The rain has been very intense with more than 600 millimetres falling in a matter of hours this morning. Heavy rain continues to fall in the city.”

“Mackay has received more than a third of its average annual rainfall (1585 millimetres) this morning. In the old scale, we have received almost 25 inches of rain this morning when we usually expect 60 inches spread over a whole year.”

Mr Roberts (from Brisbane) and Mr Mulherin (from Mackay) will participate in a telephone hook-up on the situation through the State Disaster Co-ordination Centre after 11am today.

Mr Roberts said the financial assistance already activated for the Mackay region includes:

personal hardship assistance - for essentials such as warm clothes, food, accommodation and medical supplies (up to $740 per family) and for building and contents repair and replacement (up to $13,200 per family);

- concessional loans for primary producers and small businesses affected by flooding;

- freight subsidies for producers;

- recovery of costs for restoring public assets, such as roads, and for costs of local councils' extraordinary disaster management, and

- assistance for sporting clubs and other non-profit organisations who cannot provide for their own recovery to restore assets to pre-disaster standard.

Personal hardship assistance to individuals and families, and assistance for non-profit organisations is administered by the Department of Communities. The Department of Communities can be contacted on 1800 440 074.

Concessional loans for producers and small businesses should contact QRAA (Queensland Rural Adjustment Authority) on 1800 623 946.

To apply for freight subsidies, producers should contact the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) on 13 25 23 or their local DPI&F inspector.

15 February 2008
Media contacts:

Kirby Anderson (for Minister Roberts) 3247 8194 or 0418 197 350

David Potter (for Minister Mulherin) 3239 6530 or 0409 305 662