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

I thank Senator Moore and Senator Furner for their continued interest in this matter. Over the summer, we passed the two-year anniversary of the floods and cyclones that ravaged Queensland in 2010 and 2011. Unfortunately, in Queensland this summer, we again faced natural disasters caused by heavy rainfall from ex-tropical Oswald. In particular, as a consequence, communities were shattered and lives torn apart. During this crisis period, the government activated immediate assistance to protect lives and communities. We activated the Australian government disaster response plan to deploy support and physical assets into the affected areas. Emergency Management Australia officers integrated into state crisis and response centres to link the Commonwealth and state management efforts.

At present, 358 ADF personnel are still deployed across the region, including 222 in Bundaberg specifically. They are performing critical work in supporting the clean-up, reopening key transport routes and providing specialised support—including today beginning work to reopen the Don Tallon Bridge, a part of the key critical infrastructure links between north and south Bundaberg—and working to support families, communities, primary producers and small businesses. The Commonwealth is also providing financial support to those who are worst hit. Already we have rolled out significant Commonwealth funding to clean up and rebuild communities, provide emergency payments to families, support farmers and small businesses with clean-up and recovery grants and support for those employees whose place of work has been damaged. Also available are the Australian government disaster recovery payments which provide, for those eligible, $1,000 for adults and $400 for children to assist—(Time expired)