QFF elevates disaster aid call
THE Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF) is continuing its call for reform to the way governments assist and support farmers before and after natural disasters as part of the State Election.
The state’s agriculture sector is highly exposed to extreme weather events. Queensland is the state which is most disaster=prone.
QFF president Stuart Armitage said, that while severe weather events were part and parcel of farming in Queensland, they placed enormous strain on the viability and prosperity of the sector.
“Every year the Australian Government spends over $560 million on post-disaster relief and recovery with this number on the rise as climate variability increases,” he said.
“QFF is advocating for a suite of policy and funding reforms to improve the sector’s ability to manage climate and weather risks. Improved resilience to natural disaster and drought can help lower the financial drain on farmers and governments.”
Mr Armitage said, by increasing funding in resilience and preparedness measures, governments could lessen the impact disasters have on farmers and their local communities.
“It has been estimated that $250 million national expenditure on pre-disaster resilience could generate budget savings of $12.2 billion across all levels of government and reduce disaster costs by 50 per cent by 2050,” he said.