PM VOWS TO PITCH IN
NORTH Queensland mayors and graziers have warned Prime Minister Scott Morrison that without more help, the survival of some flood-affected towns is at risk.
The Prime Minister toured Cloncurry and Julia Creek yesterday, seeing from a helicopter the hundreds of dead cattle left to rot and listening to graziers at the pub.
While he announced grants of up to $25,000 would be made available to small businesses directly hit by the floods, he said the Government would devise a plan for more substantial help, to be revealed within two weeks.
“I ask you for patience … in a natural disaster, you don’t rush to failure,” he said.
“We are going to rebuild the cattle industry, that’s my message to North Queensland. We’ve been knocked off our feet … right across the re- gion, but we will get back up. We will get back up together.”
The small business grants will be made available as cash payouts to operations in Townsville, Cloncurry, Richmond, Flinders and Mckinlay. They come on top of $75,000 grants for farmers and $1 million for each floodimpacted council.
Mr Morrison met with regional mayors to hear what help they needed. The mayors pleaded for concessional loans and tax relief to help graziers restock, as well as grants for small business.
Mckinlay Mayor Belinda Murphy said it was important for the Prime Minister to see the disaster in person.
“This is beyond the farm gate. This is about the survival of our communities,” she said.
Winton Mayor Gavin Baskett said it wasn’t just the graziers who needed help, but whole communities.
“People are going to hurt. They’re going to hurt long time,” he said.
He said the mayors were asking for concessional loans for restocking, tax relief and for the $75,000 special disaster assistance grants to be extended to small businesses.
“We don’t want a hand out, we just want a hand up,” Cr Baskett said.
“This industry has been going for 100 years. Give us a hand up and we’ll keep going for another 100 years.”
Cloncurry Mayor Greg Campbell said the PM had taken on board their needs.
“The message that he’s given us is he’s committed to getting the industry back on its feet, but he needs time to make sure that response actually hits the mark,” he said.
“The support package we need is a range of financial options, a way to get cash to producers to repair the infrastructure and to purchase new stock.” for a