Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party, Assistant Minister for Children and Families) Share this | Hansard source

Across our lives, we have seen remarkable weather events, whether they be fires, floods, cyclones or droughts. Each time we experience one, we can hardly believe it—or the raw power Mother Nature can deliver. Recently, in the north of Queensland, we have seen such an event. This was a devastating event, with many areas from Townsville to Cloncurry smashing previous records of seven-day rain totals. Many areas received well over one metre of rain in a week—houses ruined, property lost, lives lost, livestock lost, and flooding in previously high and dry areas.

Like in any natural disaster, the shock of the event and the devastating damage take an instant toll on those involved. While the fallout in Townsville has been severe, the devastation in rural areas in the north-west was the focal point for the fallout from this tropical low. Hundreds of graziers in the north-west had the euphoria of drought-breaking rains when a tropical low came to dump bulk moisture on the drought-ravaged lands of the Flinders and upper Diamantina catchments. Entering a seventh year of drought, nothing could have been sweeter than a couple of days of good soaking rain. Euphoria soon turned to fear as flooding began, with the tropical low simply refusing to move and continuing to dump heavy rain. Many experienced weather-watchers say they've never seen a weather pattern like this.

Any cattleman will tell you that cattle can handle floods. In a bad flood, you might loss a few head, but most will float downstream and turn up when the water drops and neighbours start the post-flood muster. This event was much more than just a flood, though. This was a week-long onslaught of rain, with heavy cloud cover and wind—strong, continuous, buffeting winds. It was nothing like the normally hot, dry conditions of the tropical interior. Tropical cattle breeds are very well suited to tropical conditions, but a week of standing in water with the wind blowing and no tree cover is a recipe for disaster. Estimates suggest hundreds of thousands of head of cattle now lie dead in paddocks across the region. This is obviously devastating for families who not only love their animals but rely on them for their livelihoods. Families across the north are now left wondering whether all manner of household bills will be able to be covered and whether they can stay in business at all.

On the matter of household costs, I took part in a recent meeting between independent schools and the Isolated Children's Parents' Association regarding very big concerns about school fees. In rural and remote areas, the option of boarding school is often taken as the only feasible manner for kids to get a decent education, due to the tyranny of distance. When things get tough, like they are now for so many in the north, costs become difficult to cover, and school fees often become a bridge too far for country families. It would be awful to see these families have to remove their children from school because of this catastrophic flood. The flow-on effects would be long felt in these rural and remote communities if these children's life options narrowed. I congratulate the ICPA on their constant support for rural kids and their education, and I trust this meeting will lead to something positive in the coming weeks.

Government always plays a role in recovery. It has swung into action quickly, delivering physical support through mobilising the military, and it has already delivered more than $42 million in recovery funding. It is vital there are not undue hold-ups in delivering recovery funding. Processes have improved to help communities get back on their feet more quickly. Over 40,000 calls for assistance have been answered, with financial support and coordinated efforts delivering support across the north.

Regardless of the government's understanding and support, recovery always comes down to local communities. To see our Prime Minister visit Cloncurry last week donning a cap from a local trucking company owned by the Pratt family, it was obvious the community is fragile. But the community is resilient. I am sure that, while there are difficult times ahead for beef producers across the state and while the communities on the northern line have a great deal of recovery to do, they will do it. They will recover and be stronger than ever, and I look forward to seeing them do it.

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