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The Albanese Government is supporting the recovery effort in Far North Queensland (FNQ), following ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper.

At the request of the Queensland Government, Australian Defence Force personnel will be deployed to assist Queensland authorities in the Douglas, Cook and Wujal Wujal regions.

Two Australian Army CH-47F Chinook helicopters and a landing craft will transport supplies and deliver engineering equipment into isolated communities in the coming days. Additionally, personnel and equipment, including front end loaders, will help clear access and larger scale debris. 

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has deployed more than 30 Disaster Relief Australia personnel to the region to assist with the recovery work on the ground.

In recent weeks, ADF personnel have been on the ground assisting in the evacuation of flood-stricken communities in the Cairns northern beaches and Wujal Wujal and with the transport of emergency services personnel to Cairns from Townsville. 

Since then, Defence has also provided two ADF planners to Cairns to provide specialised support to the Queensland Reconstruction Authority.

The Government’s new National Emergency Management Stockpile will also be activated for the first time since being established late last year.

This will provide temporary worker accommodation for emergency services and contractors near Bloomfield, and for FNQ communities if needed.

The Albanese Government, through NEMA purchased a self-sufficient turnkey emergency shelter solution. Humanihut has been contracted to manage, maintain and deploy the emergency shelters.

The creation of this stockpile is a first for Australia, and is a major step forward in ensuring Australia is better prepared for natural disasters in the future.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said:

“Recovery efforts are well underway, and all levels of government are working closely together. 

“But we know there’s still a long recovery ahead. Roads have been completely washed away, access is limited and communities have been isolated for weeks.

“In partnership with the Queensland Government, we continue to support affected communities. Our Government has senior staff from our National Emergency Management Agency on the ground in Far North Queensland to help coordinate, and will continue to provide support as needed.”

Acting Minister for Defence, Matt Thistlethwaite said:

“Defence stands ready to support our emergency services and communities in response to natural disasters.

“The ADF has provided vital evacuation support, particularly in Wujal Wujal, during ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper. With this additional support we look forward to helping these remote communities make good recovery progress before monsoon season hits.

“The work to date has been significant, and the Albanese Government is working shoulder to shoulder with the Queensland Government and local Councils to ensure help can get to where it’s needed.”

Minister for Emergency Management, Murray Watt said:

“Last night we received the request to activate the ADF, and I’m pleased the request was able to be accepted within hours, so that more help can be delivered as quickly as possible.

“The temporary accommodation from the National Emergency Stockpile is a major first for Australia, and I’m pleased it can be used to help workers on the ground in Far North Queensland, and residents if needed.

“The work done by SES, Councils, State personnel, volunteers, local ranger groups and Queensland Fire and Emergency Services has been incredible, and I thank them all.

“Significant recovery work is now underway but this is a major disaster, made more challenging because of the remoteness and accessibility to some areas.”

Senator for Queensland, Nita Green said:

“This will be welcome news to communities in remote parts of Far North Queensland.

“I visited the Douglas region last week and saw first hand the difficulties caused by precarious road access and damaged infrastructure. 

“This additional ADF support comes at an important time. With the wet season on the way this announcement comes at just the right time for our region to help build back better and stronger in the future.”

The Albanese and Miles Governments are delivering further disaster assistance to help Far North Queensland continue its recovery following ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper.

The exceptional circumstances assistance is jointly-funded by the Albanese and Miles Governments through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

Today’s announcement will further support local tourism, clean-up efforts and invest in specialised recovery staff:

• A $24.25 million Tourism Recovery and Resilience Program will develop a grants program for Far North operators who have been cut-off or heavily affected by the extreme weather. Grants will be made available to impacted operators to re-establish their business, continue employing their staff and rebuild stronger with flood-resilient infrastructure such as solar panels and other mitigation infrastructure. The program will also fund a tourism and events marketing campaign to attract more visitors back to the region.
• A $20 million Clean-Up Program will assist in response to both ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper and the South East Queensland storms. FNQ Councils and state agencies will be supported as they continue their work clearing debris from community assets, parks, national parks, beaches and waterways.
• Cyclone Industry Recovery and Resilience Officer (CIRRO) Program – three specialised resilience officers will work with FNQ industry, Councils and impacted farmers to support local community-led, regionally-coordinated recovery approaches to disaster risk reduction for future events.
• Recovery Project Managers – in recognition of their resourcing constraints, Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council and Douglas Shire Council will also receive a small amount of direct funding to engage project managers and other skilled workers to design, coordinate and manage extraordinary recovery efforts following TC Jasper.

Previously announced financial assistance for impacted residents, businesses and councils also remains available, including Personal Hardship Assistance grants and Disaster Assistance Loans.

Residents in need of disaster support can call the Queensland Community Recovery Hotline on 1800 173 349.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said:

“This beautiful place has been ravaged by this disaster, and we want to help Far North Queensland get back on its feet as soon as possible.

“Disaster recovery at this scale will take time so it’s vital we keep making these investments so that Far North Queensland can bounce back faster and stronger.

“Tourism in particular is one of the lifeblood industries of Far North Queensland, and we want to make sure businesses hit hard can not only survive but thrive again.

“We’re also giving a boost to clean-up efforts and focused recovery for primary producers and the councils of Wujal Wujal and Douglas, which will make a major difference for the region.”

Queensland Premier Steven Miles said:

“Today’s announcement is more evidence that our governments stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our Far North Queensland communities.

“Tourism is a pillar of the economy and we will do everything we can to ensure local businesses and households are supported through this time.

“This additional extraordinary funding comes on top of the $64 million package we announced before Christmas, and of course the millions in Personal Hardship Assistance that’s already in the pockets of residents.

“We know there’s still a long road to travel until the Far North has fully recovered from Jasper, but this announcement today significantly strengthens our work.”

Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt said:

“This latest package is informed by our conversations with councils, industry and the community, and I acknowledge their strength and resilience in these tough times.

“With investments like the $20 million Clean-Up Program we’re removing the financial strain on councils, giving them full confidence to keep going with their great work.

“Employing recovery and resilience officers to help FNQ primary producers, and recovery project managers for Wujal Wujal and Douglas will also ensure we’re achieving the best possible outcomes that are informed by local experience in the Far North.”

minister responsible for the Queensland Reconstruction Authority Nikki Boyd said:

“This is the next step in the recovery journey for the Far North.

“It’s funding that helps across the Far North, from the community and councils to cornerstone employers like tourism and primary industry.

“And we will keep working with councils and the Federal Government to develop further support.”

Federal Minister for Tourism Don Farrell said:

“Australia’s tourism operators are remarkably resilient and many are already once again showing visitors the wonders of the region.

“This package will help those unable to re-open quickly to overcome this challenge and get back to what they do best – delivering unique, world-class tourism experiences to international and domestic visitors.”

Queensland Tourism Minister Michael Healy said:

“These funds will be a lifeblood for many businesses who remain closed in areas like Cape Tribulation and along the Captain Cook Highway, weeks after the cyclone and flooding hit the Far North.

“The support will be targeted at helping them retain skilled staff and improve their operations, while encouraging visitors to start getting ready to plan a trip north.

“Tourism is the lifeblood of our region, and we are steadfast in our commitment to support tourism operators through this difficult period.”

CEO, Tourism and Events Queensland Patricia O’Callaghan said:

“This is a multi-faceted funding package that will be warmly welcomed by the tourism industry in the Far North, the majority of whom have reopened their doors to visitors while simultaneously rebuilding after the extreme weather.

“Far North Queensland is one of the most unique and awe-inspiring places on the planet so we’re incredibly excited to promote it to the world and let everyone know that now is the time to visit for that dream holiday or event.”

CEO, Tourism Tropical North Queensland Mark Olsen said:

“The support will provide relief for Tropical Queensland tourism operators who missed their peak season over Christmas and New Year and are unlikely to see significant visitor numbers until Easter.

“It is critical for the businesses that remain isolated to receive assistance so they can continue to pay wages and make the repairs necessary to resume trading once their access roads are open.”

More information:

Tourism Recovery and Resilience Program – $24.25 million

• $10 million grant program for exceptional impacts to support the tourism industry in Tropical North Queensland. The grant program focuses on supporting businesses that have been isolated or unable to trade due to the impact of Tropical Cyclone Jasper flooding.
• $10 million in Building Resilient Tourism Infrastructure grants will be available to tourism operators who were severely impacted to rebuild stronger with flood-resilient infrastructure such as solar panels and other mitigation infrastructure.
• $3 million for event promotions and a tourism campaign to attract more visitors back to the region.

The Queensland Reconstruction Authority will administer the funding that will be delivered by the Department of Tourism and Sport to council areas including Cairns, Cassowary Coast, Cook, Douglas, Hope Vale, Mareeba, Tablelands, Wujal Wujal and Yarrabah.

This package is in addition to the $5 million tourism recovery package that is also being jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments, featuring discounted airfares and accommodation and disaster recovery assistance grants.

Clean-up Program – $20 million

• Available to impacted councils and state agencies in response to both ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper and the South East Queensland storms.
• Funding for extraordinary clean-up activities and damage assessments of community and recreational assets, parks, waterways and beaches, and national parks.

Cyclone Industry Recovery and Resilience Officers – $2.25 million

• Will allow state officers to be employed to support primary producers impacted by ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper with their immediate recovery.
• Work undertaken in the roles will also help build resilience to future natural disasters within the local sector.

Recovery Project Managers – $1 million

• Managers will coordinate complex relief and recovery efforts in consultation with Douglas, Wujal Wujal and Scenic Rim councils, communities and state agencies.

Further information on DRFA exceptional circumstances measures can be found at Queensland Reconstruction Authority.

The Albanese Government has appointed Dr Craig Emerson to lead the 2023-24 review of the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct (the Code) to ensure that the supermarket sector is working as it should.

The Food and Grocery code is prescribed under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. Aldi, Coles, Woolworths and Metcash are signatories to the Code and are bound by it.

The Code was introduced to improve standards of business behaviour in the food and grocery sector.

The Code regulates the conduct of these retailers and wholesalers towards suppliers.

Dr Emerson was the Federal Minister for Small Business from 2007-2010 and Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs from 2009-2010. He was Minister for Trade from 2010-2013. He is a former Queensland Government Director-General and Senior Economic Adviser to Prime Minister Bob Hawke.

Today, the Government has also released the Review of the dispute resolution provisions (Part 5) of the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct and the Government’s response to the review.

The Government supports all of the recommendations in the Review to amend the
Code to:

• Enable Code Arbiters to mediate and allow suppliers to contact and seek preliminary information from Code Arbiters without making a formal complaint, and
• Enhance the Independent Reviewer’s role in overseeing the conduct and complaint handling practices of the Code Arbiters.

The recommendations will be implemented as part of a broader package of reforms to the Code following the conclusion of the 2023-24 review of the remaining provisions of the Code.

You can have your say on the 2023-24 review and become involved in the public consultation process by visiting the Treasury website.

The Review of the dispute resolution provisions (Part 5) of the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct can be found on the Treasury website along with the Government’s response to the Review.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said:

“We are tackling cost of living and ensuring Australian families have an economy that works for them.

“We have been clear – if the price for meat and fruit and vegetables is going down at the farm gate then families should be seeing cheaper prices on supermarket shelves too.

“Supermarkets have a duty to make sure they’re providing affordable options for all Australians, especially when they’re making savings on their own costs.

“We’ve made looking after consumers a key priority over the past 18 months and we’ll keep looking at every option to make sure Australians aren’t paying more than they should or getting less than they deserve.

“If there are further steps that are needed then the Government will not hesitate to take action.”

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said:

“We expect all companies to treat Australian consumers fairly including in the food and grocery sector.

“As a Government we’re taking a fresh look at the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct to make sure the sector is giving consumers and suppliers a fair deal.

“When the price of meat and fruit and veggies comes down for supermarkets, it should come down for families as well – it’s a big chance for the big supermarkets to do the right thing.”

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Murray Watt said:

“We’ve been making clear for many months now that retailers should start dropping their prices to reflect the reduction in prices farmers are getting for their produce.

“Farmers deserve a fair price for their hard work and the some of the prices supermarkets are charging just don’t pass the pub test.

“While the Government is getting on with taking action on the cost of groceries, the ball is in the court of the big retailers.

“They don’t have to wait until this review is finalised to drop their prices, they can do that right now to help Australian families doing it tough.”

Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury Andrew Leigh said:

“Craig Emerson is one of Australia’s top policy economists, and will bring his wisdom and compassion to this vital economic reform. Dr Emerson’s work will form an important part of the wider review of policy settings that’s being led by the Competition Taskforce. 

“In the 1990s, the Keating Government’s competition reforms raised household incomes by $5000. History shows competition reforms can change lives for the better.

“Capitalism depends on competition. Monopolies gouge consumers and workers, and undermine fairness. Competition means better prices and more choice for Australian families.”

The Albanese Labor Government is overseeing a serious crisis in Australia’s primary healthcare system, which is making it harder and more expensive to see a doctor.

The report released by Cleanbill today has confirmed a trend that has been evident for months – Bulk billing is collapsing under Labor, after being at record highs under the former Coalition Government.

Cleanbill’s report states that there has been a “catastrophic” reduction of 11% in the number of bulk billing options available across the country and that over 1.2 million Australians avoided attending a GP over the last financial year due to cost concerns.

This study follows the RACGP’s Health of the Nation report released late last year, which showed that the number of GPs who bulk bill all their patients has halved in just one year, while the cost of seeing a GP has increased by $11 on average.

The Shadow Minister for Health, Senator the Hon Anne Ruston said that the Albanese Government is overseeing the collapse of bulk billing at a time when Australians are struggling to pay the bills, let alone cough up for an unexpected GP appointment.

“Since Labor came into government, bulkbilling rates have dropped consecutively every single month, with the latest quarterly data showing rates have plummeted to the lowest levels in over a decade.

“This Government was elected with a promise to ‘strengthen Medicare’, yet all of the data is steamrolling in the opposite direction.

“This is a seriously concerning trend that Australians just cannot afford. Not only is it pushing up out-of-pocket expenses for families, but we also know that a weakened primary care system only increases the pressure on our over-burdened hospitals.

At a time when we are seeing historic ramping across the country, the Albanese Labor Government must urgently address this primary care crisis to reduce avoidable interactions with our hospitals and support Australians with the rising costs of healthcare.

Without urgent action from the Government to address this collapse in bulkbilling, Australians’ access to critical healthcare will be increasingly at risk.

• The Australian and Queensland Governments have announced new support measures to boost disaster recovery and resilience operations in South East Queensland.
• The exceptional circumstances assistance is jointly funded through Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) and comes in the wake of some of the worst storms SEQ has ever experienced.
• Additional grants for small businesses, farmers and non-profit organisations also activated for SEQ.

The Albanese and Miles Governments are delivering further disaster assistance to help South East Queensland recover from recent severe storms.

Today’s announcement will support local clean-up efforts, invest in specialised recovery staff and provide grants to primary producers, small business owners and non-profit organisations:

• A $20 million Clean-Up Program will assist in response to both the South East Queensland storms and ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper. Gold Coast, Scenic Rim, Logan and Far North Queensland Councils, and state agencies will be supported as they continue their work clearing debris from community assets, parks, national parks, beaches and waterways.
• Grants of up to $75,000 have been activated for affected primary producers, and up to $50,000 for affected small business owners and non-profit organisations in impacted parts of South East Queensland.
• Local Recovery and Resilience Grants of $1 million, announced last Thursday, will be jointly funded by Commonwealth and State, and provided to the City of Gold Coast, Logan City Council and Scenic Rim Regional Council to go towards local recovery initiatives and disaster relief.
• In recognition of its resourcing constraints, Scenic Rim Council will also receive a small amount of direct funding to engage a project manager and other skilled workers to design, coordinate and manage extraordinary recovery efforts.

A range of previously announced financial assistance for impacted residents, businesses and councils remains available as well, including Personal Hardship Assistance grants and Disaster Assistance Loans.

Residents in need of disaster support can call the Queensland Community Recovery Hotline on 1800 173 349.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said:

“Our Government is here for Queensland in this critical time of need. We are committed to helping Queensland communities recover from the devastating impacts of extreme weather events.

“This support will deliver the expertise and the resources to keep the job going and ensure recovery efforts are seen through.

“We know it’s been a terrible start to the year for many Queenslanders, but we will continue to work with the Miles Government to make sure the South East rebounds stronger than before.”

Queensland Premier Steven Miles said:

“The resilience shown by impacted communities has been remarkable, but we know targeted disaster assistance is required to keep recovery moving at speed.

“Queenslanders are bred tough, but when we’re faced with testing times we need to band together and support each other, doing whatever it takes to help.

“I want to acknowledge the incredible will of our frontline services, councils and residents, and this exceptional circumstances package we’re announcing today will help them continue doing the vital work our state needs right now.”

Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt said:

“The road to recovery will be challenging, but we are standing with Councils to give them certainty of funding so they can keep full focus on their clean-up efforts.

“The $20 million Clean-Up Program is accessible to our hardest-hit local governments, while the $1 million grants for Gold Coast, Logan and Scenic Rim can be put towards not only recovery but greater overall resilience.

“We are also opening up new grants for affected farmers, small business owners and non-profit organisations to help get them back on their feet.”

minister responsible for the Queensland Reconstruction Authority Nikki Boyd said:

“The recovery efforts in the South East and Far North will be enormous and we are with those communities every step of the way.

“This assistance recognises the extraordinary support that’s needed.

“I also want to remind disaster impacted Queenslanders of the various other financial measures available – anyone needing help should phone our Community Recovery Hotline, 1800 173 349.”

More information:

Clean-up Program – $20 million

• Available to impacted councils and state agencies in response to both the South East Queensland storms and ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper.
• Funding for extraordinary clean-up activities and damage assessments of community and recreational assets, parks, waterways and beaches, and national parks.

Local Resilience and Recovery Grants – $3 million

• Confirmed Commonwealth-State funding (announced on Thursday) will deliver $1 million to each of the three councils hardest hit by the SEQ storms: Gold Coast, Logan and Scenic Rim.
• Grants to undertake locally-led recovery initiatives, build greater community resilience, and reduce the impacts of future severe weather events.

Assistance Grants for small business:

• Grants of up to $50,000 are available for directly-impacted small businesses to hire or purchase equipment and materials, clean up, remove debris, replace or repair damaged infrastructure and stock, and other costs associated with the recovery process.

Assistance Grants for farmers and primary producers:

• Primary producers who have suffered direct damage can apply for grants of up to $75,000.
• Grants will assist with short-term recovery needs including pasture rehabilitation, fodder, replacing livestock, and repairs to infrastructure and equipment.

Assistance Grants for non-profit organisations:

• Grants of up to $50,000 are available for directly-impacted non-profit organisations to hire or purchase equipment and materials, clean up, remove debris, repair or replace damaged infrastructure or goods and other costs associated with the recovery process.

Further information on DRFA exceptional circumstances measures can be found at Queensland Reconstruction Authority.