Chief Executive Officer Alex Livingstone said the organisation felt the heartbreak of many growers who once again were faced with the grim task of waiting for flood waters to recede from their properties before having to get in and clean up in order to get back into production.
“Some growers are faced with an anxious wait as water levels continue to rise. For many, it will be at least six months before their farms have an income again. For others, where orchards have been uprooted by the strength of the wind or damaged by flood waters it will take much longer,” said Mr Livingstone.
“We welcome the State Government’s announcement of assistance to disaster-affected communities in Queensland under the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA) administered by QRAA and the Personal Hardship Assistance Scheme administered by the Department of Communities.
“The immediate priorities in terms of assistance to our industry will be reconnection of power, telephone and internet access and repair of damage to roads, culverts and bridges preventing the movement of workers to farms and fresh produce to market,” he said.
“While the damage is not as widely spread as in the 2010/11 floods, for some individual growers the effect of their properties being under flood waters again is the same as last time. For others it is far worse. For those growers who bore the brunt of the 2010/11 floods the struggle to get going again will be very hard.
“We call on the government to reinstate the Farm Financial Counsellors scheme to assist growers to access the financial assistance they need to get back on track. Industry Recovery Officers will also be essential in helping growers to deal with the practical and emotional issues involved in recovery. We hope that these arrangements can be made swiftly in the hardest hit regions.”
Growcom will today attend the Agriculture Control Meeting convened by the Queensland Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, John McVeigh, to present initial damage estimates.
“We have been contacting growers in the Chinchilla, Mundubbera, Gayndah, Bundaberg, Stanthorpe, Lockyer Valley, Fassifern Valley, Gympie, Sunshine Coast, Logan, Kalbar and Boonah regions affected by the floods to compile damage records.”
These include estimates of:
- Outright loss of vegetable and fruit crops
- Loss of orchard trees – either uprooted by strong winds or under water for too long
- Lack of access to paddocks for harvesting activities or planting activities
- Delays to planting of new crops due to need to clear paddocks of debris, repair erosion and to laser level
- Loss of quality in harvested crops due to transport delays caused by loss of roads and infrastructure such as bridges
- Loss of farm infrastructure including pumps, drainage and irrigation equipment
- Loss of skilled workers due to cessation of work for extended periods.
“The next few weeks will determine the full extent of the damage which will be impacted on by the rate at which flood water drains off properties and whether further rain hinders clean-up efforts and raises the spectre of increased fungal diseases,” Mr Livingstone said.
“Damage bills across the state are likely to be in the millions of dollars before production can return to normal in some of the hardest hit areas.
While much of the focus is on the Lockyer Valley and Bundaberg regions, it is becoming clear that there is extensive damage across many regions. Orchards in the Gayndah/Mundubbera area have been particularly hard hit.”
Growcom is available to help growers in applying for assistance and has a comprehensive list of government funding available to the horticulture industry on our web site at www.growcom.com.au. We are also regularly updating social media with information as it comes to hand at www.twitter.com/growcom and www.facebook.com/growcom
“The scale of this event has once again emphasised the fragility of the fresh produce supply chain,” said Mr Livngstone.
“The Bruce Highway has again been cut in several places causing disruption to the transport of fresh produce to market and Growcom again calls upon the state and federal government to assist in the creation of an all weather road.”
For more information:
Alex Livingstone
Growcom
+61 (0)7 3620 3844
