Queensland communities can now apply for a share of more than $19 million in resilience and risk reduction funding to help reduce, mitigate and manage.
Funding helps secure hundreds of jobs in local sugar sector Australian Sugar Milling Council chief executive Mr David Pietsch said the funding would help secure 110 jobs in harvesting and field haulage operations and cane transportation otherwise at risk if cane cannot be transported to Isis Mill. Picture: Liana Turner
News 7th Mar 2021 5:00 AM
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Subscriber only Recent government funding has reportedly helped secure more than 600 direct and indirect jobs at Isis Central Mill. The sugar industry has welcomed the commitment of $1.9m from the Queensland Government to a plan that will see sugarcane grown, harvested and hauled in the Maryborough region milled into raw sugar at the Isis Central Sugar Mill at Childers.
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Disaster assistance available for cyclone-impacted communities in north Queensland
Minister for Police and Corrective Services and Minister for Fire and Emergency Services The Honourable Mark Ryan
In the wake of Tropical Cyclone Niran, disaster assistance has been made available to assist local councils dealing with the extensive clean-up efforts required in its wake.
Assistance is being provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
Federal Minister for Emergency Management David Littleproud said the DRFA assistance will provide financial support to aid recovery in Cairns, Cassowary Coast, Hinchinbrook, Palm Island and Yarrabah.
“These councils have reported impacts such as downed trees and power lines, extensive debris over road networks, as well as road damage from flash flooding in an already sodden catchment,” Minister Littleproud said.
Three well-worn wooden bridges in the Gympie region will be getting a concrete upgrade thanks to more than $2 million help from the State and Federal Governments.
The timber bridges on Widgee Crossing Rd (across Gympie Creek), Glastonbury Creek Rd and Ryan Rd will be replaced by concrete structures thanks to the funding, which was given under the Local Economic Recovery Program.
The biggest slice of the pie ($837,000) will go towards upgrading the bridge on Widgee Crossing Rd.
Another $600,000 will be spent on the Glastonbury Creek Rd replacement, and the remaining $585,000 will go towards the Ryan Rd bridge upgrade. The bridge replacement has been funded by the State and Federal Local Economic Recovery Program.
Mr Pietsch said the funding was critical for enabling cane to be transported to Isis Central Sugar Mill, and he commended the Australian and Queensland Governments for their funding commitments.
“We have worked to support our member Isis Central Sugar Mill and are pleased they have secured Government support for this transport infrastructure to allow Maryborough region growers to deliver an estimated 380,000 tonnes cane to the mill at Childers from this season,” Mr Pietsch said.
“The funding commitments announced by Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack and Federal Member for Hinkler Keith Pitt, and Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles and Member for Maryborough and Assistant Minister Bruce Saunders, highlight the importance both Governments place on the sugar industry for jobs.