Category: Other News

Miscellaneous news

Pumpstation Update – LBWB – 26 February 2019

Kalagro

PUMPSTATION UPDATE as at 26th February 2019

Southern Division
Warrens Gully Pump Station:
Pump 1 – Unavailable (wet). River levels need to subside further.
Pump 2 – Pumping.

McDowells Pump Station:
Pump 1 – Unavailable (wet). River levels need to subside further.
Pump 2 – Unavailable (wet). As above.
Pump 3 – Pumping.

Down River Pump Station:
Pump 1 – Unavailable (silted up). Divers have undertaken visual inspections with desilting to be conducted Thurs 28th Feb by Commercial Divers
Pump 2 – Unavailable (silted up). As per Pump 1.

Northern Division:
Plantation Creek Pump Station:
Pump 1 – Available. Staff have conducted maintenance. Pump is not 100%, but OK to run in emergency.
Pump 2 – Pumping. Was started late afternoon (Fri 22nd Feb) and continues operating.
Pump 3 – Available. Was started for a short period trial, late yesterday afternoon (Mon 25th Feb).

Rocks Pump Station:
Pump 1 – Pumping. Was started late yesterday afternoon (Mon 25th Feb) and continues operating.
Pumps 2 & 3 – Unavailable. Staff completed maintenance, however pump chambers require desilting/dredging; to be conducted Fri 29th Feb by Commercial Divers.
Pump 4 – Unavailable. Needs major repair.

Rita Island Pump Station:
Pump 1 – Pumping. Was started earlier last week and continues operating.
Pump 2 – Available.

River Pump Stations: all stations do not have ideal pump intake conditions, due to silt/sand deposited from river run. Desilting and sand dam reconstruction to be conducted when river level subsides further.

Relift Pump Stations: all stations are available and currently pumping.

Irrigators are urged to use Groundwater as an alternative supply to Open Water (pending availability).

North and West Queensland weather event – February 2019

Kalagro

                                                                                                                                               North and west Queensland have been severely impacted by a monsoonal event across January and February 2019. Record rainfall has led to significant flooding impacting farm infrastructure, paddocks, crops and a large number of livestock deaths.

We have compiled a list of useful support packages and services for Queensland’s primary producers and community members affected by this event.
If you require further information please contact our Customer Service Centre on 13 25 23

Financial support

For primary producers
Activated areas for financial recovery assistance
Flood-damaged producers can apply for Category B and Category C natural disaster assistance to help with their recovery in activated areas. To find out if you are in an activated area, or to apply for assistance visit qrida.qld.gov.au or call 1800 623 946.

https://www.vision6.com.au/ch/10433/2dwf7hb/2408813/dDXduNkEmhewCZX3eJ1ap_9zS1QK_femcS90BIbM.html

Category B assistance
Category B assistance will help affected producers with assistance, including:
• concessional loans of up to $250,000
• essential working capital loans of up to $100,000 at an interest rate of 1.37 per cent
• freight subsidies of up to $5,000. Primary producers wishing to access freight subsidies should visit daf.qld.gov.au or call 13 25 23.
Category C assistance
Under Category C assistance affected primary producers can access grants of up to $75,000 to help clean-up and recover.

https://www.vision6.com.au/ch/10433/2dwf7hb/2408812/dDXduNkEmhewCZX3eJ1afsAfnYiO_xRxlXbcxyrf.html

Individual Disaster Stricken Property (IDSP)
Primary producers who have suffered major damage outside the above declared areas may apply for an Individual Disaster Stricken Property (IDSP) declaration. For further information visit daf.qld.gov.au or call 13 25 23. read more

Qld Competition Authority Consultation Workshops 2019-20 Regulated Electricity Prices

Kalagro

QLD COMPETITION AUTHORITY (QCA) CONSULTATION WORKSHOPS – 2019–20 REGULATED ELECRICITY PRICES

QCA are planning to hold consultation workshops, subject to sufficient stakeholder interest, for their review of Ergon Energy regulated retail prices to apply in regional Qld for 2019-2020.

Workshop is planned to be held in Ayr in the period 18th March – 1st April 2019.

Any members interested in attending the workshop need to register their interest via the following link:

http://www.qca.org.au/Workshops

KCGO has previously lodged a submission which can be viewed along with other submissions in response to QCA Interim Consultation Paper via the following link:

http://www.qca.org.au/Electricity/Regional-consumers/Reg-Electricity-Prices/In-Progress/2019-20-Regulated-electricity-prices-for-regional

Les Elphinstone
Manager KCGO

Assistance for Primary Producers

Kalagro

Assistance for primary producers affected by North
and Queensland Monsoon Trough,
25 January to 6 February 2019

Attached is a fact sheet for recovery assistance. Category C has been activated by the Prime Minister for the Burdekin Shire. You can access information on how to take advantage of this assistance on the QRIDA website under assistance for primary producers. Link below

http://www.qrida.qld.gov.au/current-programs/Disaster-recovery

Les Elphinstone
Manager KCGO

thumbnail of Version 2 Recovery Assistance Fact Sheet feb 2019

(click to view full size)

QFF Welcomes Banking Royal Commission Recommendations

Kalagro

QFF welcomes Banking Royal Commission recommendations

The Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF) has welcomed the Australian Government’s commitment to establish a National Farm Debt Mediation Scheme following recommendations made by the Banking Royal Commission released yesterday.
The government has also agreed to recommendations made by Royal Commissioner Justice Kenneth Hayne to have ‘specialised’ agricultural bankers manage distressed farm loans, prevent banks charging default interest during drought or natural disasters and only appoint receivers as a remedy of last resort.
QFF President Stuart Armitage said the government’s commitment to act on the recommendations made by the Royal Commission was a positive step in improving financial services for Queensland farmers.
“Following continued advocacy by QFF, the Queensland Government legislated to create a state Farm Debt Mediation Scheme, recognising the unequal playing field for farmers when negotiating with the big banks,” Mr Armitage said.
“Prior to this, QFF facilitated a voluntary debt mediation system – the Queensland Farm Finance Strategy – on a pro bono basis for 20 years. Legislating and properly resourcing a state arrangement was the logical step towards nationally consistent farm debt monitoring and mediation processes.”
“Bankers move around and modern farming businesses operate across state borders, so a nationally consistent approach to this issue that takes the best elements from each jurisdiction is likely to see a greater chance of fair and equitable outcomes being reached.”
“The requirement that banks not charge default interest on agricultural loans where a national disaster has been declared is timely as many farmers are dealing with drought across 58 per cent of the state and flooding rains in the north.”
In addition, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (ACFA) will now allow aggrieved farmers seek redress from the banks for incidents stretching back to 1 January 2008. Normally the right to seek redress would end after six years.
“Farmers have 12 months to lodge complaints seeking justice for incidents which occurred between 2008 and 2012. The maximum compensation farmers are able to be seek through ACFA is $2 million,” Mr Armitage said. read more