Confusion over $20 million funding from the Federal and State governments to assist farmers in the wake of ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald has led to accusations by the State Government that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has “pulled the plug” on the program, and fears it may not be delivered in full as planned.
In a media release today, Natural Resources Minister Andrew Cripps claimed Mr Rudd has broken a promise to help rural Queensland communities prepare for future natural disasters by halving the Federal Government’s contribution to the program.
“I’m bitterly disappointed that the Rudd Government has reneged on a commitment to Queenslanders to provide $10 million for on-farm productivity and riparian recovery projects as part of the Natural Disaster Recovery and Relief Arrangements (NDRRA) program,” Mr Cripps said.
However correspondence between Mr Cripps and Federal Agriculture Minister Joel Fitzgibbon shows the Federal Government’s $10 million contribution still stands although $5 million has been earmarked for delivery as “complementary” assistance under existing Federal Government funding programs rather than being handed over to the State Government to administer.
The other $5 million of Federal Government assistance would be provided under Category D of the Natural Disaster Relief and Recover Arrangements and would be administered by the State Government.
The State Government announced on May 7 it would match the Federal Government’s $10 million commitment and issued a media release stating that a $20 million program would be delivered over three years.
Mr Cripps said that in response to this media release, he was advised by Department of Natural Resources and Mines officers that the Federal Government’s $5 million – which was outside the NDRAA framework – would be delivered via existing Federal Government mechanisms rather than handed over to the State Government to administer.
However, as of June 30, the State Government had already executed contracts with regional Natural Resource Management bodies for more than half of the $20 million it believed it had available.
“The decision by the Australian Government to provide its agreed contribution to existing programs was certainty not foreshadowed in the original discussions between our respective governments,” Mr Cripps said in a letter to Mr Fitzgibbon.
“As a consequence, there is currently no ability to co-ordinate recovery efforts due to the Australian Government’s decision and no indication where, if and when these funds will be available.”
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