Kirsten Livermore (Capricornia, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I rise today to put a human face to the disastrous flooding that still grips all corners of my Capricornia electorate and to formally thank the countless volunteers, disaster relief workers and other emergency services workers to whom many in Capricornia owe a great debt. From Sarina and the Pioneer Valley in the north to the mining towns in the west and to Rockhampton in the south, Capricornia, along with a great proportion of Queensland, has been hit by the worst flooding in decades. According to early estimates, the floods which have inundated Central Queensland will cost our state over $1 billion in damages and, of course, the human cost is immeasurable. The mining industry is facing hundreds of millions of dollars in losses caused by shutdowns, export losses and infrastructure damage. Indeed, all 33 mines in the Bowen Basin are damaged, costing millions of dollars in lost production and also threatening the economic future of many local families. The farming community has been hit equally hard. Sugarcane crops in the north have been flattened, and any surviving cattle in the Central Highlands now face the threat of bovine fever, a potentially deadly cattle virus spread by insects.

Central Queensland’s primary producers are resilient people, but after years of drought wearing them down these floods are now a bitter pill. I am informed that counselling services are being stretched to the limit by farming families seeking help. In the west of my electorate alone, volunteers have received calls from more than 4,000 people in the last month. This disaster has cost the tourism industry across Central Queensland perhaps as much as $60 million. I am aware that since the school holidays last month accommodation operators, many of them small family owned and operated businesses, have seen a huge spike in cancellations, some for up to six months in advance.

But, of course, there have been other sad tales of disaster and also tales of compassion. Sadly, a mother has died saving her six-month-old son from rising floodwaters west of Rockhampton, and there have been two other tragic deaths. There have also been stories of volunteer and emergency services crews working around the clock to restore power, give medical assistance, protect properties and at times provide that plain support and comfort to both friends and strangers which is so typical of Central Queenslanders. In this difficult time I want to acknowledge all those people who have suffered loss and offer my deepest thanks to those who have offered so willingly their help during this time of great need.

I also want to thank the government at this time for its quick response to the emergency in Central Queensland and the extension of financial support to local councils and to individuals who have been affected by the floods. We are a tough breed in Central Queensland and I know that we will overcome these current difficulties, but I do want to pay tribute to those people who have worked so hard to try and make the best of this very difficult situation.