Newsroom

February 28, 2025

KENNEDY MP Bob Katter has called on the prime minister to urgently address the financial hardships faced by farmers and small business owners in the wake of recent natural disasters, particularly the severe flooding and power outages that have crippled communities across Northern Queensland.

In his latest correspondence to the prime minister, Mr Katter has requested to extend financial assistance to the agricultural sector and small businesses suffering from these devastating events.

Increased Freight Costs and Agricultural Losses

Mr Katter said that farmers, particularly those from the Tablelands, Cassowary Coast and Hinchinbrook regions, have suffered immense losses due to road closures that halted access to major fruit-growing areas for nearly three weeks.

“The inability to transport produce to markets, coupled with increased freight costs once access was restored, has placed a substantial financial burden on local farmers, particularly banana and avocado producers.

“Some agricultural businesses didn’t experience direct property damage and are now ineligible for these flood relief grants, but these farmers faced significant losses due to the disruption of their operations.”

Support for Small Businesses Facing Losses

Small business owners across the north, many of whom lost weeks of revenue due to road closures and power outages, also feel the strain. Mr Katter said that many of these businesses were ineligible for funding because their premises were not directly inundated by floodwaters. However, the loss of power—rendering refrigeration and other essential operations impossible—has caused significant stock losses, impacting their ability to continue trading.

In particular, the Forrest Beach Supermarket, which lost over $9,000 in perishables, has shared its struggles with Mr Katter. The supermarket and other small businesses in the region could not claim compensation due to power-related damages despite suffering significant financial losses. Additionally, small businesses that have struggled to maintain their workforce through the disaster urgently need wage subsidies to support their employees during this recovery period.

Even news outlets across the north were impacted by road closures. The Mareeba Express (Mareeba Shire) and the North West Weekly (Mount Isa City Council) lost thousands of dollars in income; unable to send their papers to print.

Mr Katter said he was calling on the prime minister to broaden the eligibility criteria for small businesses to include compensation for power-related stock losses and to introduce wage subsidies for those businesses that have gone above and beyond to keep their staff employed during the prolonged flooding event.

“Farmers and small business owners in my electorate have been hit hard by this disaster, and they need the government to step up and provide the support they deserve,” said Mr Katter.

“These businesses, many of which are the backbone of our community, are suffering not only from the direct impacts of the disaster but from years of inaction on infrastructure upgrades and disaster preparedness. I urge the prime minister to ensure that these industries receive the financial assistance they need to rebuild and recover.”

Mr Katter has provided the prime minister with additional documentation from local agricultural groups and small business owners to further highlight the extent of the financial hardship caused by the recent disasters.

Photo: (L-R) Kathryn Dryden & Leon Collins from ABGC, Bob Katter, and Lawrence Di Bella from QCAR, visiting Ingham