Primary producers who suffered livestock losses in the North and North-West Queensland monsoon floods earlier this year can now apply for additional freight subsidies for restocking and agistment.
Minister for Emergency Management and North Queensland Recovery Senator the Hon Linda Reynolds CSC said the subsidies were being provided as part of the $242 million long-term recovery package under the joint Commonwealth-Queensland Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
“Queensland’s agriculture industry took a big hit from the floods earlier this year and local producers suffered significant stock losses,” Minister Reynolds said.
“This $10 million Flood Freight Subsidy Restocking and Agistment Scheme (FFSRA) will help accelerate recovery and boost short-term income for north west Queensland producers.
“The FFSRA will apply to producers in the shires of Burke, Carpentaria, Cloncurry, Flinders, McKinlay, Richmond and Winton.
“This subsidy will help our agricultural industries rebuild right along the supply chain.
“We know it’s a long road ahead, but we stand with our producers and will do all we can to help them recover and prosper in months and years to come.”
Queensland Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner said the FFSRA would accelerate restocking of the flood-impacted area and increase opportunities for short-term income.
“This FFSRA scheme will accelerate the restocking of flood-impacted areas across north-west Queensland by providing 50 per cent restocking freight subsidies up to $50,000 per year for two years,” Mr Furner said.
“The scheme will also provide a 50 per cent freight subsidy for producers in drought-declared areas for the transport of livestock to agistment to the current north west Queensland Category C area with a maximum subsidy of up to $50,000 per year.
“The freight subsidy for the transport of stock to agistment will allow drought-declared primary producers elsewhere in Queensland to send their livestock to agistment in flood-impacted north west Queensland.
“Producers in the currently drought-declared shires of Flinders, McKinlay, Richmond and Winton can choose either the FFSRA or restocking freight subsidies under the Drought Relief Assistance Scheme (DRAS).
“I have also decided to make a special provision under the DRAS so that producers in these shires that were drought-declared at the time will be able to restock up to the number of livestock on hand before the monsoon event, without incurring a suspension from the DRAS scheme.
“I would encourage anyone transporting livestock to or from north-west Queensland to use livestock carriers from these communities wherever possible. This will be of great help to the recovery of these flood-damaged communities.”
To read the guidelines and check your eligibility visit daf.qld.gov.au or call the Customer Service Centre on 13 25 23.
