RELIEF was generally evident following the Prime Minister’s announcement of an $83 million package of measures, designed to stimulate haemorrhaging rural economies.
However, community and industry leaders are awaiting further developments before agreeing with Senator Barry O’Sullivan’s description of Tony Abbott as a great mate of the bush.
The arrival of the “first grade side”, as Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce described the visit, was an acknowledgement of the severity of drought in parts of Queensland and northern New South Wales.
For many producers, the proof of the pudding will be in Tuesday’s federal budget.
Mayors travelled from as far as the Gulf of Carpentaria, not just to hear what the government response to the crippling drought would be, but to put their points of view forward.
“Today is not going to make us jump out of our gumbies,” Richmond Mayor John Wharton said.
“We’re looking forward to the next couple of weeks – we think more will be coming.”
#Longreach announcement of drought-hit stimulus package made on bank of dam dry for 2 years. pic.twitter.com/9QhqPDf7HJ
Ag Minister @Barnaby_Joyce and deputy PM Warren Truss meeting people on the streets of #Longreach this morning #QCL pic.twitter.com/02IrgCunhe
They are looking for long-term drought-proofing and economic development ideas – water storage, the continuation of the GABSI scheme, meatworks – and how business will get back on its feet once the drought finally breaks.
They were among the crowd of 100 people who gathered at the Walker family’s Camden Park property 15 kilometres east of Longreach, which hasn’t seen drought-breaking rain for three years.
James and Manny Walker hosted the visit and James said that given the Prime Minister, the deputy Prime Minister, the Agricultural Minister and the deputy speaker of the parliament were all there, it had sent out a strong message of support.
“I told them that the impacts of the drought are only in their infancy,” he said.
“It’s when people have to manage overheads and buy back stock at much higher prices that the problems will really mature.”
In the package announced on Saturday, 20 local government areas, including Winton, Bulloo, Diamantina, Longreach, Blackall-Tambo, Murweh, Balonne, Barcaldine, Barcoo, Paroo, Quilpie and Maranoa will benefit from up to $1.5m each over three years for shovel-ready infrastructure and employment projects.
Projects that offer the greatest potential to stimulate local spending, use local resources and provide lasting benefit to the community will be targeted with $35m, while another $25.8m will be put towards programs to manage pest animals and weeds.
Once again it is work that provides employment for rural contractors that assists landowners to deal with the impacts of feral animals that will get the nod.
Member for Maranoa Bruce Scott expected that by July 1, projects applied for would be approved and ready to start, providing they met the criteria of creating jobs and leaving a lasting legacy.
He expected Natural Resource Management groups such as Desert Channels Queensland could be in a position to put up projects, not just local governments.
“Existing networks will mean we can get the money flowing immediately,” he said.
Saturday’s announcements have been rubbished by shadow Agriculture Minister Joel Fitzgibbon, who described the $35m for infrastructure projects as dwarfed by money already taken from local councils through cuts to Federal Assistance Grants (FAGS), which he said would cost councils in the Maranoa and Kennedy electorates $70m over four years.
He also said the $250m allocated for drought concessional loans on Saturday was “simply a re-announcement of money Barnaby Joyce had been unable to spend because most farmers either couldn’t access the loans or consider them unhelpful”.
This was disputed fiercely by Mr Joyce on the bank of an empty dam at Longreach, who said there were now 531 businesses accessing concessional loans, compared to eight when the coalition came to power.
“I dispute the low take-up premise,” he said.
“Over $270m has been loaned out and I know they work because when areas are left out, our office gets run over with calls from people wanting to be a part of it.”
