Help for flood affected properties to manage stock

Primary Industries and Fisheries Minister Tim Mulherin said additional officers are being flown into the Gulf to assist landowners with stock stranded in the floods.

Mr Mulherin said: “These Biosecurity officers have experience in flood situations.

“Officers from my department have already been in the air with Telstra employees doing aerial surveillance of the region to determine the extent of the stock losses.

“The additional officers will conduct further aerial assessments to help determine particular hotspots.

“They will then work with individual land owners to develop a management plan for the best way of dealing with animals under stress.

“The department is working with AgForce to determine the practicality of locally-based, coordinated fodder drops.

“The best people to manage the situation are the local producers. We’re supporting them to help get them through this flood event.

“My department has been phoning individual property owners in north-west Queensland.

“This flooding is over a land mass about the size of South Australia. It is just not feasible to do fodder drops to all stranded cattle over such a massive area – they are spread out over enormous distances.

“Even if that wasn’t the case, helicopters can cause problems because they can scare cattle on high ground back into flood waters.

“At the moment helicopters are being used to distribute food to people and, where necessary, carry out evacuations – that is the first priority,” Mr Mulherin said.

“Over the weekend we’ll be carrying out more aerial surveillance of the region and by early next week should have sufficient information on whether to declare an area wide activation under the National Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements.”

The Minister said he had weekly conference calls with regional mayors about the flooding and has also been in regular contact with AgForce President John Cotter.

Mr Cotter said: "We are in regular contact with our members about what practical assistance they require at a local level and providing advice to them about how to apply for flood assistance and other support measures from DPI&F."

"Going forward, we are reviewing what landholders need for recovery after the floodwaters eventually recede."

Another telephone hook-up with Mayors and AgForce was held this afternoon where it was agreed that local knowledge would help graziers get through this crisis.

“We’re investigating the possibility that there may be hay available in sheds that haven’t been inundated throughout the shires that can be used to feed stranded cattle,” Mr Cotter said.

Member for Mt Isa Betty Kiernan said: “Graziers who have lost cattle to the flooding are also faced with spending thousands of dollars repairing infrastructure on their farms, which is why I’m encouraging affected producers to apply for IDSP assistance.

“While the first priority at times like these is looking after families, stock and property, producers do need to find the time to apply for their IDSP certificate because this assistance will help them get things back to normal as soon as it’s feasible,” Mrs Kiernan said.

At this point in time the DPI&F has received only a few applications for IDSP funding.

Graziers can access concessional loans of up to $250,000 at QRAA’s commercial interest rates and freight subsidies of 50 per cent of costs up to $5,000 for movement of food, building and fencing materials, stock, fodder, machinery and fuels.

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