February 6, 2013
The Queensland Dairyfarmers Organisation (QDO) has welcomed the news that the State and Federal Governments have escalated Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements for Gympie shire but says the South Burnett needs to be added to the list.
The shires of Bundaberg, Gympie, North Burnett, Lockyer Valley, and Fraser Coast were declared Category C on Monday, an assistance level which provides access to grants and loans for clean-up and rebuilding measures.
QDO President Brian Tessmann said there were many dairy farmers in these shires severely impacted and the assistance would be vital to help them with the very difficult rebuilding process.
“Individual farms have faced catastrophic losses and we have estimated that about half of the Queensland industry has been impacted by this disaster,” Mr Tessmann said.
Last week the QDO estimated that the cost in terms of destroyed infrastructure, discarded milk and lost production would be in the range of $40 million this year.
However he said that as the QDO continued to assess the damage, it was clear that more shires and/or part shires would need to be added to the list of those in need of greater assistance measures, including the South Burnett, Gladstone, Wide Bay, Scenic Rim, Somerset, Sunshine Coast, Ipswich and parts of the Darling Downs councils.
“The QDO is continuing to work with other industries and the Agriculture Control Group to ensure that governments fully understand the plight of the industry at the moment and that they act to preserve the industry, which is a driving economic force for many regional Queensland communities.”
