![\"\"](\"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/20140307mps.jpg\" "\\"John")
<\/a>March 7, 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n All the South Burnett and adjacent areas are now officially drought-declared which opens the way for local primary producers to access more assistance.<\/p>\n The council areas of the South Burnett, Cherbourg, Gympie, North Burnett and Toowoomba were today added to the long list of drought-declared areas in Queensland.<\/p>\n Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington said she had been lobbying the relevant Ministers for a declaration to occur as soon as possible so struggling farmers could access further support.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThis week I went to State Parliament with the message that the South Burnett must be drought declared,\u201d Mrs Frecklington said.<\/p>\n \u201cI know there are a lot of farmers in the South Burnett who are struggling through these extremely dry conditions and I am very relieved that the region can now claim full drought assistance,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d like to thank the Minister for Agriculture, Dr John McVeigh for considering and approving our Local Drought Committee\u2019s recommendations,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n South Burnett Mayor Wayne Kratzmann also welcomed the declaration.<\/strong><\/p>\n “It’s really great news regarding a really sad situation ,” he said.<\/p>\n “There had been a little bit of rain in some parts of the South Burnett and I was worried that may effect the declaration, but I would like to thank the Minister for his foresight.<\/p>\n “It won’t solve all the issues for our primary producers but it will help.”<\/p>\n Toowoomba Mayor Paul Antonio thanked the State Government.<\/strong><\/p>\n “This region is Australia’s second most productive agricultural region and we know there are many farmers out there struggling to survive, this emergency aid and funding available will help to ease some of the pain,” he said.<\/p>\n Agriculture Minister John McVeigh said the drought now extended all the way to the coast, including some areas devastated 13 months ago by record flooding and was now pressing on the northern suburbs of Brisbane.<\/strong><\/p>\n Fifteen shires were added to the drought list today, meaning 79 per cent of Queensland is now drought-declared … the largest area ever recorded.<\/p>\n \u201cThe number of local government areas drought declared is now 38, plus four partially declared shires,\u201d Mr McVeigh said.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are also 38 Individually Droughted Properties (IDPs) in another seven shires, and this number will continue to rise.<\/p>\n \u201cThe wet season in these newly declared shires has been very poor with many areas missing out altogether. February, normally one of the wettest times of the year, has been particularly dry.,” Mr McVeigh said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Burnett and coastal areas from Gladstone to Caboolture have not received any useful rain since Cyclone Oswald.<\/p>\n “Darling Downs shires have also had a very hard summer, with a well below average dryland crop that failed for many producers, and to date no rain for winter crop planting.<\/p>\n \u201cI am reminding all Queensland producers in need, not just those in areas drought-declared for State government assistance, that the income support in the new federal assistance package is now available from Centrelink.<\/p>\n \u201cQueensland and NSW are working with the Federal Government to make other aspects of the package, such as the debt restructuring loans, available as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n * * *<\/strong><\/p>\n Council areas currently drought declared are:<\/strong>\u00a0Balonne, Banana, Barcaldine,\u00a0Barcoo,\u00a0Blackall-Tambo,\u00a0Boulia,\u00a0Bulloo,\u00a0Bundaberg,\u00a0Burke,\u00a0Carpentaria,\u00a0Central Highlands (part declared),\u00a0Charters Towers (part declared),\u00a0Cherbourg,\u00a0Cloncurry,\u00a0Croydon,\u00a0Diamantina,\u00a0Doomadgee,\u00a0Etheridge,\u00a0Flinders,\u00a0Fraser Coast,\u00a0Gladstone,\u00a0Goondiwindi,\u00a0Gympie,\u00a0Isaac (part declared),\u00a0Longreach,\u00a0Maranoa,\u00a0McKinlay,\u00a0Moreton Bay,\u00a0Mt Isa,\u00a0Murweh,\u00a0Noosa,\u00a0North Burnett,\u00a0Paroo,\u00a0Quilpie,\u00a0Richmond,\u00a0South Burnett,\u00a0Southern Downs,\u00a0Sunshine Coast,\u00a0Toowoomba,\u00a0Western Downs,\u00a0Winton,\u00a0Woorabinda (part declared).<\/p>\n * * *<\/strong><\/p>\n Mr McVeigh said those producers in drought declared areas lucky enough to have received rain may be thinking that they have enough pasture to bring livestock back to the property, even if the Local Drought Committee was not yet prepared to recommend revoking the drought declaration.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cProducers in this position should contact the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to discuss freight subsidies when returning livestock. DAFF has already issued three revocations of Individually Droughted Properties in the last fortnight,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The Revocation of an Individually Droughted Property entitles the producer to livestock transport subsidies for restocking or returning from agistment; subsidies are up to 100 per cent for breeders and their progeny, or up to 75 per cent for non-breeders.<\/p>\n * * *<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n For further information on State and Federal assistance, \u00a0phone 13-25-23 or visit the QRAA website<\/a>\u00a0or DAFF website<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n For more information about the Federal Government\u2019s Interim Farm Household Allowance<\/strong>,\u00a0contact Centrelink on 13-23-16.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" All the South Burnett and adjacent areas are now officially drought-declared<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":59510,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3,36],"tags":[1134],"yoast_head":"\n