13 Mar KATTER CALLS OUT INADEQUATE HARDSHIP PAYMENTS FOR FLOOD-AFFECTED

The hardship payments of $180 for individuals and $900 for families currently being offered by the State Government to those affected by the flooding in North West Queensland are a nice but pointless gesture.

That’s according to Katter’s Australian Party Leader and Traeger MP Robbie Katter, who said he recognised the payments but was less than satisfied with the amount.

“The funds are the Government acknowledging that these people need help,” he said.

“But for people who have lost everything, $180 is a useless amount.

“People affected in the Townsville floods in 2019 or the Brisbane floods last year were offered $1,000 per adult or $400 per child in addition to the $180 with barely any questions asked.

“So far, however, no such figures have risen to offer assistance to people of the North West.

“I’d like to know why it seems that people living up in the Gulf are worth less.”

Mr Katter advised that he was currently pushing for the Federal Government’s program offering Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA) to consider Burke, Carpentaria and Doomadgee Shires as a Category C which would release such funds to these areas.

“The industries that will need rebuilding following these devastating events is a separate conversation,” he said.

“We won’t know the full extent these floods have had on these industries for a couple of weeks or maybe months.

“However, pastoral property workers, fishermen and general residents living in these townships who have lost everything need this help right now.

“They need a payment, and they need it straight away.

“Money to buy clothes, cleaning products, food, or anything else they need.

“We know there is money sitting there for times such as this, and the people of the North West are more than ‘good enough’ to receive some.”

—ENDS—