Another 6% of Queensland removed from drought list

Parts of 4 more local government areas, covering 6% of Queensland, have been removed from official drought status.

In the past month nearly 20% of the state has had drought status revoked with 35% of Queensland remaining drought declared.

Minister for Primary Industries, Fisheries and Rural and Regional Queensland Tim Mulherin has revoked the drought status of:

·Boulia Shire Council, north of the Kennedy Development Road and Donohue Highway, effective 1 March 2009

·McKinlay Shire Council, south of the Flinders Highway, effective 1 April 2009

·Richmond Shire Council, south of Flinders Highway, effective 1 April 2009

·North and east parts of Longreach Regional Council, bounded by the Landsborough Highway from the eastern boundary of the Longreach Regional Council to Longreach and from Longreach to the northern boundary of the Regional Council along the Winton Stock Route adjacent to Maneroo Creek, effective 17 April 2009.

Minister Mulherin said: “All of Boulia and Longreach local government areas were previously drought declared and only parts of these two areas have been revoked.

“McKinlay and Richmond local government areas were only part declared and therefore all of McKinlay and Richmond local government areas are now revoked from drought status.

“I’ve made these decisions based on the recommendations of the Local Drought Committees which are made up of Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries staff and local primary producers.

“They are not people sitting in an office in Brisbane. They have local knowledge and expertise.

“Their recommendations to remove the drought status of an area are not made hastily and they’re not made immediately after what is considered to be good rainfall.

“They take into account that generally areas should have received enough rain to:

* promote sufficient pasture growth to permit stocking at normal or near normal carrying capacity for the given time of the year;
* maintain that stocking rate till further rain could be reasonably be expected and,
* provide sufficient stock water to permit stocking at these levels

“The latest action follows revocations in 12 other local government areas, effective 21 April.

“This means that in the past month we have gone from having 54.3% of Queensland drought declared down to 41% and now down to 35% of the state drought declared,” Mr Mulherin said.

The Minister said drought declarations give primary producers access to the Drought Relief Assistance Scheme (DRAS) for subsidies on the transport of fodder and water when drought declared and for restocking and returning stock from agistment when revoked from drought status.

Mr Mulherin said: “There are situations where the drought status in an area is lifted but within that area there are individual properties which have unfortunately missed out on sufficient rain.

“Producers who believe they have not received adequate rainfall to alleviate drought conditions can contact Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries on 132523 for an Individually Droughted Property declaration which gives the same access to drought assistance as having the whole area declaration,” Mr Mulherin said.

The Minister said producers should check DRAS guidelines and the drought status of their property before returning stock to ensure they can access freight subsidy support.

Exceptional Circumstances (EC) drought assistance is an Australian Government program and there is no link between it and state drought declarations.