GULF EC DECISION MUST BE REVIEWED

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The National Rural Advisory Committee (NRAC) has rejected the Exceptional Circumstances (EC) application from the Queensland Government relating to beef producers in the Gulf of Carpentaria who were devastated by record floods earlier this year.

Federal Opposition Spokesman for Northern Australia, Senator Ian Macdonald said that there was little doubt about the need for the EC assistance.

“The NRAC needed to review its decision urgently.” Senator Macdonald said

“These producers are enduring incredible hardship as a result of the very exceptional flood event they suffered last summer”

“The level and duration of the inundation these producers suffered has never been recorded before. Meters of water covered hundreds of thousands of acres for up to six weeks

“The inundation caused massive stock losses, extensively damaged infrastructure such as stock waters, fences and roads and wiped out entire paddocks of feed.

“The cruel twist was, that after the water levels retreated, nothing grew. The seed bed had either been washed away or drowned.

“The beef growers were left with no grass, no sale cattle, no income and are in desperate need of help.

“NRAC must urgently review the EC application and give these landowners the assistance they have been waiting for.

“The wet season isn’t far away for the Gulf, and is unlikely to provide any relief for producers. NRAC must reverse its decision and should aim to do it before Christmas.

“If it can’t, then maybe it’s the structure and processes of NRAC that need to be reviewed rather than its decisions.

“I have been in touch with Minister Burke’s office pleading with him to overturn the decision.

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