Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister Assisting the Attorney-General on Queensland flood relief and recovery, Senator Ludwig. Can the minister inform the Senate of the support the government is providing to individuals, small businesses and communities to assist them to get back on their feet after the natural disasters that have devastated Queensland this summer?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Moore for her question. I know that she remains keenly interested in the recovery and rebuilding of Queensland since the floods and cyclone. From the outset, the Gillard government has supported and will continue to support Queenslanders as they recover from not only the floods but also Cyclone Yasi. We will continue to stand side by side with them to ensure that they can rebuild the state of Queensland after those devastating events. The reconstruction effort will be expensive. The cost of the floods and Cyclone Yasi is estimated to be around $6 billion. That is why the government acted decisively to introduce the flood and cyclone reconstruction levy legislation. The passage of this legislation is good news for the people of Queensland and other affected states. The government made the right decision and has got this important legislation through parliament and is now getting on with the critical job of rebuilding Queensland and those other states that have been affected by floods and bushfires throughout Australia.

The modest one-year levy, combined with spending cuts, means that our communities will be able to get back on their feet, rebuild roads, bridges and schools and ensure that public infrastructure is returned. Already we have provided over $730 million in Australian government disaster relief. Payments to affected individuals provided over 57,000 subsidy payments worth about $55 million to people who have suffered a loss of income. The government has provided over 5,100 cleanup and recovery grants totalling $26.5 million. The government has provided employers in the far north of Queensland wage assistance to help them retain workers in those affected regions. It has extended access to concessional loans of up to $650,000, including a grant of up to $50,000 to all category C affected areas of Queensland. (Time expired)

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister further outline to the Senate actions the government is taking to drive the recovery of Australia’s natural resources in the aftermath of recent natural disasters across the whole country?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Moore for her supplementary question. The Gillard government is committed to supporting the environmental and agricultural recovery in flood, cyclone and bushfire affected regions throughout Australia. It is vital that we take action now to ensure that our natural environment recovers from the disasters that have impacted our nation. Included in that effort, the government has announced that it will invest more than $8 million to support environmental recovery actions. These efforts include providing $4.9 million to regional natural resource management organisations in disaster affected areas so that they can undertake the important environmental recovery work that is required to assist Queenslanders and those throughout other parts of Australia. We have provided $1.35 million to Conservation Volunteers Australia to coordinate and deliver assistance from volunteers for critical on ground environmental recovery work. We have also provided more than $1 million to address the immediate impacts of floods and the cyclone on the Great Barrier Reef. (Time expired)

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister update the Senate on how the government is working with the Queensland state government to ensure that Queensland recovers and rebuilds after the floods and Cyclone Yasi?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As the majority funder for the reconstruction of Queensland, it is vitally important that the federal government works closely with the state government. Today the Queensland Premier released Operation Queenslander. This state plan has been developed, in consultation with the Commonwealth, by Major-General Slater and the Queensland Reconstruction Authority. It outlines the structure and guiding principles behind the authority’s response to the natural disasters.

There are some extraordinary statistics that I want to share with the Senate. Ninety-nine per cent of Queensland has been declared disaster affected; 9,170 kilometres of state controlled roads were damaged, with about 41 per cent of these having been recovered; 11 of the 20 ports in Queensland were affected, with all but one now back to full operation; and 124 national parks were closed, with 20 having now reopened. The list, unfortunately, goes on. The work that the Queensland Reconstruction Authority is coordinating with councils and the federal government will get all of this fixed. (Time expired)