{"id":20832,"date":"2013-01-18T11:35:54","date_gmt":"2013-01-18T01:35:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=20832"},"modified":"2023-11-21T20:46:40","modified_gmt":"2023-11-21T10:46:40","slug":"voluntary-cattle-levy-to-support-new-industry-fund","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2013\/01\/18\/voluntary-cattle-levy-to-support-new-industry-fund\/","title":{"rendered":"Voluntary Cattle Levy To
Support New Industry Fund"},"content":{"rendered":"

January 18, 2013<\/strong><\/p>\n

The State Government today launched a $5 million fund to support the cattle industry during disease outbreaks.<\/p>\n

Speaking at Gracemere Saleyards, Premier Campbell Newman said it was particularly significant given the outbreak of Bovine Johne\u2019s disease (BJD).<\/p>\n

\u201cBeef production is the State\u2019s most valuable agricultural industry and is essential to the Queensland economy,\u201d Mr Newman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is worth more than $4.5 billion a year and supports more than 13,000 jobs, as well as an additional 12,000 jobs in meat processing and 30,000 along the supply chain.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why my government is kick-starting an assistance program \u2013 the Queensland Cattle Industry Biosecurity Fund \u2013 with a $2 million grant and a loan of up to $3 million to be matched dollar-for-dollar by cattle producers through an industry levy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe loan will be repayable through the industry levy, but this is about getting an assistance program operating now that can help producers caught up with BJD and any further disease outbreaks in our beef industry in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Newman said he was pleased industry was already working on the voluntary levy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis approach is in place in other States but has been lacking here in Queensland,\u201d he said<\/p>\n

\u201cI strongly urge the cattle industry to take advantage of this seed funding and use it to build this scheme so that monetary support is available for future disease outbreaks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Minister John McVeigh said his Department was working closely with industry on how levy contributions could be made and how the fund would be managed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe priority will be helping producers whose businesses are being impacted by movement restrictions and having to test animals as part of the current BJD response,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re aiming to provide affected producers with details over the next few weeks on how they can access support.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Newman Government does not expect individual producers to bear the cost of eradication programs that ultimately benefit all in the cattle industry.<\/p>\n

\u201cIndustry wants to retain Queensland\u2019s Protected Zone status for BJD and eradicate the disease from affected properties, and we\u2019re making progress.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope with this funding we will ensure we continue to reach this goal.\u201d<\/p>\n

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