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QDO WELCOMES EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES declartion for southern & central queensland
The Queensland Dairyfarmers’ Organisation (QDO), today welcomed the Federal Government’s announcement that Exceptional Circumstances assistance will be made available to Southern and Central Queensland livestock producers, which includes dairy farmers and some crops.
The Exceptional Circumstances (EC) declared region in the south-east covers the shires of Beaudesert, Boonah, Gatton, Gold Coast, Ipswich and Laidley. In addition producers within a seven kilometre buffer zone around the declared regions will also be eligible to apply for assistance. This buffer zone extends into the adjoining shires of Redlands, Logan, Brisbane, Esk and Crow’s Nest.
In Central Queensland the EC declared area includes the shires of Bowen, Nebo, Broadsound, Fitzroy, Livingstone, north Duaringa (north of the Capricorn Highway) and eastern Belyando (east of the Gregory Development Road and north of 22.6 degrees south latitude, as well as Rockhampton City. In addition producers within a seven kilometre buffer zone around the declared regions will also be eligible to apply for assistance. This buffer zone extends into the adjoining shires of Burdekin, Dairymple, Emerald, Whitsunday, Mirani, Sarina, Banana, Calliope, Mount Morgan and Mackay City, and those parts of the Duaringa and Belyando shires which adjoin the EC declared area.
QDO President Wes Judd said the full EC declaration for the regions allows producers to apply for up to 50 per cent interest rate relief on existing and new debt with a relief cap of $100,000 a year for two years and to have access to income support payments through Centrelink for 24 months.
“Small business operators suffering from a downturn in business due to the drought are also eligible to apply to Centrelink for interest rate relief on new and existing loans of up to $100,000”.
“Today’s announcement follows the two regions being granted interim drought assistance by the Commonwealth on the 10th of April after a "prima facie" case was accepted. This interim assistance allowed producers to apply for income support and interest rate relief on new loans”.
Mr Judd said producers applying for assistance will need to obtain an EC Certificate from the Queensland Rural Adjustment Authority (QRAA). Also QRAA manages the EC interest rate subsidies program and can be contacted on 1800 623 946. Producers wishing to apply for EC income support relief payments need apply at their local Centrelink office or call the Centrelink National Drought Hotline on 13 23 16. To assist producers the QDO will be sending out information packs and application forms to all dairy farmers in the two regions.
“The QDO has invested many thousands of dollars and hundreds of man hours working to construct this application, along with the Queensland Farmers Federation (QFF), Agforce, Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers and the Queensland Department of Primary Industries”.
“We are pleased that our efforts on this application will enable dairy farmers across the two regions to apply for EC assistance in these very difficult times”.
“Producers across this region have been battling against drought conditions for three seasons and irrigation supplies have run out and producers are now facing a critical period as we head into the winter season” Mr Judd said.
“We are disappointed that the declaration does not include producers in other industries like horticulture, sugar cane and nurseries, but hope that the Federal Government will allow them to present additional information to further their case”.
But, Mr Judd said there are still many more drought affected dairy farmers needing assistance to survive the crippling seasonal conditions.
He said the QDO is waiting on the outcome of the EC application for the Burnett and Brisbane Valley.
“Plus over the coming week we’ll be finalising an EC application for Mackay, Sarina, Mirani and the Whitsunday region and we’re currently analysing data for an EC application in the Far North”.
Mr Peake said the QDO is also currently surveying all producers in the Darling Downs EC declared region to reassess the regions’ eligibility for another EC application.
“Unfortunately some farmers have fallen through the net of the regional application process and the QDO is preparing to devise another EC application that picks up areas like Mt Larcom where farmers have been just as badly affected by drought as other producers in the broader region, but haven’t been included in the EC application which boundary was cut off just some 20 kilometers north of their area”.
“While there is still much work to be done on new applications, today’s approval is acknowledgement by the Federal Government that the drought has and is still having a severe impact on producers in Southern and Central Queensland and that the impact will last for a long time even after the drought breaks”.
Contact Details: Wes Judd, QDO President, 07 3236 2955, or 0407 132 854
Adrian Peake, QDO CEO, 07 3236 2955, or 0408 989 102