Media
An Exceptional, Exceptional Circumstances for the Gulf Region Approved
On 10 February 2010 the Hon. Tony Burke MP, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, announced exceptional circumstances assistance would be available for all producers in the Gulf region until 15 June 2011. Prolonged heavy flooding caused by Tropical Cyclone Charlotte in early 2009 destroyed pastures over thousands of square kilometres.
This map shows the area declared:
All producers in the Gulf exceptional circumstances (EC) declared area are eligible to apply for income support payments and interest rate subsidies.
Agriculture-dependent small business operators who derive 70 per cent of their turnover from agriculture in any EC declared area are also eligible to apply for income support payments.
The CEO of the Northern Gulf Resource Management Group, Noeline Gross, has been the woman behind the scenes trying to coordinate a way for the region to claw back after the flood scalded the landscape, leaving drought conditions in its wake.
She said “The flooding was so bad it just left the country and the people hollow. For some time we struggled to be heard, and we had to grab strength from one another to promote this issue at a national scale and capture the recognition it needed to get the basic help it deserved”. Ms Gross also said “But we can’t be complacent and we still have a lot of work ahead of us. This country is so special that international treaties and national policies identify its exceptional public worth. We also need to make and keep good records of this event for the future generations – just in case it ever happens again in another region of Australia.”
Primary Industries Minister Tim Mulherin welcomed the federal government decision. Mr Mulherin said: "I congratulate the Queensland Government staff, Local Government, the Northern Gulf Resource Management Group, and Gulf producers who worked on the application for EC.
This was an historic application. EC assistance is usually only approved following a rare and severe drought.
The combination of heavy stock losses, particularly recently born calves and the destruction of pasture mean that local producer incomes will be severely impacted for years to come. Queensland Government pasture scientists believe that the seed beds on the clay plains of the northern gulf country may have been destroyed, further delaying recovery.
Last November the National Rural Advisory Council (NRAC) indicated it did not believe all producers within the boundary we submitted would meet EC criteria. We did not give up. We immediately sent an officer down to Canberra for talks and submitted adjusted boundaries.
Months of work has gone into collecting detailed information on the flood impacts to support the application and I congratulate everyone who was involved.”
Member for Mount Isa Betty Kiernan said: "With the EC application now approved producers can apply through Centrelink for income support on 13 23 16, and contact QRAA on 1800 623 946 to access assistance with interest costs. I urge them to do so as soon possible." Mrs Kiernan said.
The following is the online link explaining the EC package and how to apply for assistance.
http://www.centrelink.gov.au/internet/internet.nsf/filestores/se090_0906/$file/se090_0906en.pdf
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