Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

As the majority funder for the reconstruction of Queensland, it is vitally important that the federal government works closely with the state government. Today the Queensland Premier released Operation Queenslander. This state plan has been developed, in consultation with the Commonwealth, by Major-General Slater and the Queensland Reconstruction Authority. It outlines the structure and guiding principles behind the authority’s response to the natural disasters.

There are some extraordinary statistics that I want to share with the Senate. Ninety-nine per cent of Queensland has been declared disaster affected; 9,170 kilometres of state controlled roads were damaged, with about 41 per cent of these having been recovered; 11 of the 20 ports in Queensland were affected, with all but one now back to full operation; and 124 national parks were closed, with 20 having now reopened. The list, unfortunately, goes on. The work that the Queensland Reconstruction Authority is coordinating with councils and the federal government will get all of this fixed. (Time expired)