Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

The answer to the honourable senator's question is as follows:

(1) The Prime Minister appointed me to the role of Minister Assisting the Attorney-General on Queensland Floods Recovery on 5 January 2011, in addition to my responsibilities as the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. (The title of this role was changed to Minister Assisting on Queensland Flood Recovery, by the Prime Minister on 14 December 2011.)

In this role, I was delegated specific responsibility at a Commonwealth level for overseeing community recovery from widespread flooding in Queensland and subsequently damage from Tropical Cyclone Yasi which occurred in February 2011, and ensuring the Australian Government was providing all necessary assistance. This responsibility included the coordination and oversight of Commonwealth Ministerial involvement in Queensland flood recovery and reconstruction, and working with the Queensland Government and local councils to ensure Commonwealth support was delivered effectively.

(2) I make decisions on a day to day basis through administrative functions, as well as a member of various Cabinet committees. Cabinet committee responsibilities held by me are: National Disaster Recovery Cabinet Committee, Regional Australia and Regional Development Committee, and Australian Government member on the Disaster Recovery Cabinet Committee (Queensland Cabinet)

(3) I have made twenty-four written representations to Ministers and one to the non-government sector.

(4) The Australian Government has consistently said it is standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Queenslanders as they work to recover and rebuild after the devastating floods and tropical cyclones over 2010-11.

Across the State, $756 million in reconstruction projects are completed, a further $1,965 million worth of projects are in market (under construction or out to tender), and there are $834 million of projects that will soon be released to market.

The Government provided emergency payments that significantly supported individuals, business and local government, committed a total of $5.65 billion to recovery and the reconstruction, quickly provided an advance payment of $2.2 billion so that Queensland could get rebuilding underway quickly, provided an advance payment of $50 million under the Tropical Cyclone Yasi recovery package, and on 7 February 2012 advanced a further $1.9 billion to Queensland, bringing the total advanced to $4.1 billion, or approximately 80 per cent of the total.

Urgent grants were made to 673,000 Queenslanders, totalling $775 million, through the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment, and nearly 60,000 workers were assisted with funds totalling $69.5 million through the Australian Government's Disaster Income Recovery Subsidy.

A contribution of $11 million was made to the Queensland Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal, and the Prime Minister's Business Taskforce was created to mobilise business efforts across Australia.

A total of $206 million was provided to the $315 million Queensland Local Council Package, a joint initiative with the Queensland Government to help local governments repair utilities so that disaster-affected communities had water and sewerage facilities, transport infrastructure and employment support. $6 million to help Queensland's vital tourism industry and $4.2 million towards an $8.4 million funding pool for high-priority environmental recovery work came from this package.

Small businesses, primary producers and not-for-profit organisations have been assisted with recovery through concessional loans and cleanup and recovery grants:

Category B: Concessional interest rate loans (up to $250,000):

Category C: Cleanup and Recovery Grants (up to $25,000):

Category D: concessional interest rate loans (up to $600,000):

More than 4,900 workers were helped through grants totalling $49.3 million through the Queensland Natural Disaster Jobs and Skills Package; 613 employers hit by Cyclone Yasi were given $22 million through the Wage Assistance grants to help them give continued employment to 4,700 staff; and $6.9 million from the Rural Resilience Fund provided 325 jobs in Operation Cleanup.

In terms of mental health, more than 3,800 Queenslanders suffering grief and trauma were helped through increased mental health services, provided at a total cost of just under $88 million. Almost 3,000 more have received assistance through the financial counselling service to help manage their financial recovery.

(5) I have released 82 media releases, regarding the Queensland disaster recovery, on the following dates:

January 2011: 4th, 18th (2), 19th

February 2011: 16th, 18th, 23rd, 26th

March 2011: 2nd, 22nd, 24th, 25th

April 2011: 1st, 6th (3), 8th, 15th, 27th, 30th

May 2011: 4th, 6th, 10th, 24th (30), 27th

June 2011: 7th (2), 9th, 14th (2), 28th

July 2011: 28th

August 2011: 5th, 9th, 19th (2), 28th (2), 29th, 31st

September 2011: 14th, 15th, 21st ,28th

October 2011: 7th, 27th

November 2011: 2nd, 3rd, 9th (2), 10th

December 2011: 22nd