Lessons from previous disasters could help with flood

COMMUNITIES this week are either anxiously waiting for floodwater to recede or are in the middle of a massive clean-up.
The events of the last fortnight have been catastrophic for Queensland and the recovery will be difficult and extended, following several major river basins setting new records for river heights.
It may only be with time that we have the ability to fairly judge, but these floods could very well go down as one of the worst natural disasters in Queensland’s history. Certainly, the damage is on a greater scale than that of Cyclone Larry in 2006.
Given that Queensland has experience dealing with such natural disasters, there are lessons from the past that we can use to hasten the recovery.
After Cyclone Larry, QFF and its members worked with the State Government to establish Industry Recovery Officers (IROs) on the ground to assist farmers and small business owners deal with the complex web of paperwork that can come with applications for government assistance programs.
With this flood, as with Cyclone Larry, governments are to be commended for their effort in a prompt emergency response, and then escalating help to provide further assistance with clean-up and recovery.
This escalation means that farmers and small business owners in 14 local government areas will be able to access grants of up $25,000 to assist with the clean-up.
This is in addition to the concessional loans and freight subsidies that have been triggered for many areas.
With the floodwaters yet to hit St George as I write this, and the wet season still continuing, the government will have to increase the number of eligible council areas in coming days.
For farmers that may have suffered serious property damage, this $25,000 grant is small compared to their loss – but nonetheless it will be welcome relief as they get their businesses back on track.
Now that this grant money is available, the next step is ensuring that farmers who are eligible can access the funding quickly and efficiently, and that applications are processed with the minimum of bureaucratic fuss.
That is why the IROs were so useful after Cyclone Larry. The IROs were local people on the ground with a strong knowledge of the area and an extensive network of contacts.
This grass-roots insight proved far more practical and useful than any efforts that would have came solely from Brisbane.
In the scheme of things, the cost of funding such a program was small compared to the overall recovery bill and it was ultimately proved very effective for the government.
These are the type of solutions that QFF will be presenting to the government over the coming weeks.
We will also be working with our members to fully assess the extent of the damage once the waters recede and farmers can get back on their properties.
We know already that there are massive crop losses and infrastructure damage in an area larger than the entire State of NSW.
For our members, the horticulture, cotton, dairy and cane industries have been hit particularly hard.
It is a disaster that will affect everyone in the State in some way, as the problems with destroyed roads and freight bottlenecks could drag on through January.
There are countless individual stories of hardship and loss, but from what I have seen everyone involved is to be commended for their stoic and durable attitudes when dealing with a flood at a time when they should be celebrating with their families.
The cumulative impact will be great, but so many Queenslanders are simply persevering with the task at hand.
So much work is ahead of us dealing with this natural disaster, but if we can continue with a positive attitude then it will be more bearable for everyone involved.
What works best is when industries, government and communities listen to what is needed in each locality, and then provide them with the means to proceed with priorities they set.