‘Brought to its knees’
QUEENSLAND’S cattle industry has been devastated as extreme flooding continues to inundate the northwest of the state.
Swift water rescue teams are still assisting in operations around Cloncurry and Hughenden today, after a man had to be evacuated on Thursday night near Richmond.
The equivalent of more than two years of rainfall has fallen in the northwest in the past 10 days causing flooding to a vast expanse of cattle properties and small towns.
Distressing images have also emerged of the sheer devastation caused to livestock, crops and farmers’ livelihoods.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk yesterday described the situation in the west as “horrific”.
“People have gone through years of drought, now they have gone smack-bang into a natural disaster, the likes of which no one out there has seen before,” she said.
“The extreme flooding event out west … is bringing our cattle industry to its knees.”
Central-west Queensland farmer Ren Field said he had recorded 835mm of rain over a 10-day period and lost 70 per cent of his cattle.
“We have lost 700 cattle out of 1000 (so far) from exhaustion, star- vation, freezing winds and floodwater,” he said. “The stock that haven’t died from floodwater and cold weather have had to be humanely put down.”
A co-ordination centre has been set up between the State Government, emergency services and local councils to provide assistance.
However, Ms Palaszczuk yesterday said the severe weather was preventing efforts in dropping fodder for starving cattle.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Katarina Carroll became emotional when describing the scenes her team had witnessed out west.
“From the fires we experienced at the end of November, to now, never in the history of our state have we seen anything like this,” she said. “When you look at the devastation of the cattle dying on the ground, it’s confronting.”
Agforce president Georgie Somerset has urged farmers affected in the north and west Queensland shires to take advantage of grants and low-interest loans.
Yesterday Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Category D recovery grants would be available to producers, meaning payments up to $75,000 will be available.
“We have all seen, I think, the images, the devastating scenes, of what’s occurring in North Queens- land,” he said. “This is a very significant flood event.
“We are expecting hundreds of thousands in terms of stock losses.
“This will be heartbreaking to these communities that have been experiencing years of drought, only to see that turn into a torrential inundation, which threatens now their very livelihoods in the complete other direction.”
Mr Morrison said the Federal Government had been “unhesitating” in moving to ensure the level of assistance that was needed would be provided.
“We will stand with these communities every step in the way, and stand in very close contact,” he said.