OPPOSITION leader Bill Shorten visited Logan today to urge the federal government to do more to help the region’s flood-affected businesses.
While financial aide was made available through current NDRRA arrangements, Mr Shorten said flooded businesses had missed-out on $25,000 due to approval hold-ups.
“It is a disgrace that the federal government is delaying providing small but needed relief for businesses that have been hit,” he said.
Mr Shorten met with Logan City mayor Luke Smith and Rankin MP Jim Chalmers to tour flood-damaged properties and talk with councillors about their concerns.
Cr Smith said about 44 Logan businesses had been inundated, with the garden market sector wiped-out.
He said the flood waters had not only impacted the local economy, but also the state’s food supply – about 65 per cent of the suppliers to the Rocklea Markets were Logan-based.
“This one patch of Queensland has been tremendously affected, which has affected the rest of Queensland,” Cr Smith said.
“It is crucial for the federal government to release Category C NDRRA funding for farmers and small business. While politics are played, our local businesses and our economy struggles.”
As Cr Smith called for politics to be put aside, Forde MP Bert van Manen said paperwork for the funding’s approval had not been submitted by the state government.
This one patch of Queensland has been tremendously affected which has affected the rest of Queensland.
- Mayor Luke Smith
“Unfortunately, the Queensland government provided no information to support its request for further assistance, which as they are fully aware, is required for all states, for all disasters,” Mr van Manen said.
“The New South Wales government was able to provide 45 pages of supporting information to back up its application.
“Any suggestion that we have knocked back assistance for those communities that are doing it tough is disappointing, and blatantly untrue.”
Mr van Manen said the paperwork was required to ensure tax-payers money was spent where needed most.
“We stand ready to provide further assistance to Queensland and understand the importance of making this help available as quickly as possible,” he said.