URGENT – NEW CATAGORY “C” FLOOD ASSISTANCE EXTENDED

Turf Queensland has been working with the Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) to obtain extensions to the various local government areas  For the benefit of our Queensland Turf Producer members that can be covered under the Category “C” assistance and support grants that provides assistance for cleanup and recovery. We are continuing to work with DAFF on extensions full areas around the Sunshine Coast, Logan and the Gold Coast areas.

Turf Queensland will continue to advise its members on this issue.

More Shires receive flood support

Flood-affected primary producers in the local government areas of South Burnett, Gladstone and Scenic Rim and targeted areas in Banana, Goondiwindi, Ipswich, Somerset, Southern Downs and Toowoomba will now be able to apply for Category C assistance under the jointly funded Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA).

The move came after the State Government successfully lobbied the Commonwealth Government.

The Newman Government has worked hard over the past week to secure the funding.

Category C provides clean up and recovery grants up to $25,000, for primary producers and small businesses.

For primary producers, Local Government areas eligible for Category C assistance now include:

• Bundaberg Regional Council
• Fraser Coast Regional Council
• North Burnett Regional Council
• Lockyer Valley Regional Council
• Gympie Regional Council
• South Burnett Regional Council
• Gladstone Regional Council
• Scenic Rim Regional Council, Ipswich City Council (part) and Somerset Regional Council (part) areas. The boundary of this area includes:
  • all of the Scenic Rim Regional Council area
  • Somerset Regional Council south of the D’Aguilar Highway
  • Division 10 of the Ipswich City Council area
• Parts of Southern Downs Regional Council including:
  • east of Keoghs Road, Old Stanthorpe Road, New England Highway to where it joins the Cunningham Highway
  • north of the Cunningham Highway and east of the Warwick-Pratton Road.
• Parts of Goondiwindi Regional Council including:
  • west of the Yelarbon-Keetah Rd, Merton Road, Kelmans Rd, Wyaga Rd, the Gore Highway, Yagaburne-Boondandilla Rd, and the eastern boundary of lots 4 and 5 on PG97
  • east of the Lapgate Rd, Bungunya – Alton Rd, North Aranyi Rd, the eastern boundary of lot 12 on CVN221, North Talwood Rd, Talwood – Mungindi Rd.
• Parts of Banana Regional Council including:
  • west of the Callide and Auburn Ranges
  • east of the Banana and Cooper ranges and then east of the Baralaba-Rannes Rd.
• Parts of Toowoomba Regional Council including:
  • area south and east of the Gatton – Clifton Rd, the Greenmount- Hirstville Rd, the Nobby Connection Rd, the New England Highway, the Felton – Clifton Rd, the Back Plains Rd, the Doolan Rd, and the Clifton – Pittsworth Rd.

Category C grants provide for two tiers of assistance, with Tier 1 being an initial cash grant up to $5,000 to allow immediate repair activities and a subsequent grant requiring proof of expenditure for larger scale works.

Primary producers and small businesses should keep all receipts and invoices of expenditure and contact the QRAA on 1800 623 946 to discuss eligibility.

Fees delayed to help flood recovery

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry John McVeigh has announced fee relief for primary producers and businesses impacted by the recent floods to help with recovery.

The aim was to give businesses a temporary extension on payment of some fees and charges they would normally incur, until they were back in production.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) administers a range of fees, particularly in the areas of biosecurity services and fisheries licences.

Producers in areas who are declared eligible under “Category C” of the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA) will qualify for fee relief.

DAFF will vary fee payments for those suffering hardship in flooded areas, including these Local Government Areas:

• Bundaberg Regional Council
• Fraser Coast Regional Council
• Gympie Regional Council
• Lockyer Valley Regional Council
• North Burnett Regional Council.

Fee relief will also be available to producers in any additional areas that may be declared under “Category C” of the NDRRA.

Fees to be deferred for three months until 30 April 2013:

• Biosecurity Qld laboratory and testing fees
• Plant Health Inspection and Certification (PHIC) fees and Interstate Certification Assurance (ICA) fees.

Affected fishers can contact Fisheries Queensland to discuss deferring payments including:

• commercial fishing licence fees
• fishery access fees
• quota fees (where applicable).

The Department of Environment and Heritage Protection has confirmed that environmental fees have also been deferred, for those businesses suffering hardship in flood-declared areas.

DAFF will apply this for intensive livestock operations such as cattle feedlots and piggeries.

With regard to the forestry sector, DAFF will assess payment difficulties on a case by case basis in regard to monthly payments of accounts for timber and quarry royalties, as per normal procedures.

Timber processors and quarry operators can contact DAFF Forest Products and request their particular circumstances be considered.

Other fee deferrals are also being offered.

For example, DAFF’s Beef Breeding Services at Rockhampton will hold over January and February invoices, after which, flood affected producers should contact the department if further deferral is required.

The Tick Fever Centre at Wacol, which provides tick fever vaccine for cattle producers, will defer vaccine charges for flood-affected producers who need vaccine to move cattle, as part of the relief measures.

As well, Mr McVeigh said Safe Food Production Queensland, a Statutory Body in his portfolio, was also offering extensions on fee payments.

More information

For further information on disaster assistance available through QRAA, contact 1800 623 946 (Freecall) or visit www.qraa.qld.gov.au.

For information on assistance, visit www.daff.qld.gov.au or call 13 25 23.