Disaster assistance has been extended to Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council and additional assistance made available for primary producers in Burke and Carpentaria as the monsoonal floods expand to impact Gulf communities.
Assistance is being provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-Queensland Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
Assistant Minister for Home Affairs Senator the Hon. Linda Reynolds and Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Minister Craig Crawford said it was vital that assistance was made available to impacted regions quickly.
“The impact zone of these widespread floods now includes communities in the Gulf of Carpentaria so we have worked closely with the Queensland Government to extend the available assistance to that region,” Assistant Minister Reynolds said.
“Through the DRFA, Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council can now access funding to help cover the cost of clean-up and repairs associated with the floods.
“In addition, low interest loans of up to $250,000 and freight subsidies of up to $5000 are now available to impacted primary producers in Burke Shire and Carpentaria Shire.
“It is essential that we support remote communities and our hard working farmers.”
Mr Crawford said this latest extension of the DRFA brought the number of local governments areas activated for assistance to 31 of the State’s 77 councils.
“I am pleased that assistance is now available in Kowanyama to help the local council clean-up and rebuild,” he said.
“Assistance to primary producers in Burke and Carpentaria will assist those communities sustain their agricultural enterprises.
“We are at day 21 of the current emergency and as the impact zone expands, so does the joint Queensland and Commonwealth assistance to additional communities.”
A range of DRFA assistance is now available in 31 local government areas in northern and western Queensland: Barcoo, Boulia, Burdekin, Burke, Cairns, Carpentaria, Charters Towers, Cloncurry, Cook, Croydon, Diamantina, Douglas, Etheridge, Flinders, Hinchinbrook, Hope Vale, Kowanyama, Lockhart River, Longreach, Mackay, Mareeba, McKinlay, Mornington, Mount Isa, Palm Island, Richmond, Townsville, Whitsunday, Winton, Wujal Wujal and Yarrabah.
Information on disaster assistance can be found on the Australian Government’s Disaster Assist website at www.disasterassist.gov.au and the Queensland Government’s Disaster Management website at www.disaster.qld.gov.au.
