Unification Update

UNIFICATION UPDATE

Dear Member

You may have recently become aware of an article posted on Queensland Country Life webpage on 12th March, click here, as well as other media over the weekend of Agforce’s desire to establish a standalone cane group under its representative umbrella with discussions currently being held with Invicta Combined Growers Organisation.

KCGO was informed by ICGO on Thursday 5th March that their organisation had executed a “Memorandum Of Understanding” with Agforce and were currently in negotiations to develop a proposal as to how this could look going forward. Discussions are in its infancy and no further details are available/were provided at that point. Other collectives up until this point had no prior knowledge that a formal approach had been made to Agforce.

Subsequently a number of collective meetings took place last week and KCGO is unable to at this point comment on likely impact on unification concept.

Further advices will be issued as information comes to hand.

Les Elphinstone
Manager KCGO

Fall Armyworm Update – Biosecurity Alert

Fall armyworm update

The exotic pest fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) has been detected in the Burdekin in North Queensland.

This is not unexpected as fall armyworm is highly mobile.

The department is working with industry to find ways to address the serious threat posed by the fall armyworm moth and its larvae to Queensland’s agriculture industry.

Growers should have on-farm biosecurity measures to protect their crops from pests and diseases. More information is available at farmbiosecurity.com.au or biosecurity.qld.gov.au.

Producers who think that they may have come across fall armyworm are strongly encouraged to photograph and report suspect sightings to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries on 13 25 23 or to their local biosecurity officer or extension officer.

More information, including the impacts and management advice for key crops, visit business.qld.gov.au/fallarmyworm.

Media Release – Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk/ The Honourable Jackie Trad

JOINT STATEMENT

Premier and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk
Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships
The Honourable Jackie Trad

Palaszczuk Government offers $500m in loans to support workers in businesses affected by coronavirus
The Palaszczuk Government will create a new $500 million loan facility, interest free for the first 12 months, to support businesses to keep Queenslanders in work and extend the coronavirus payroll tax deferral to all businesses across the state.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the rapidly evolving impacts of the pandemic demanded a rapidly evolving response from Government.
“We know just how tough Queensland families and businesses are doing it in the face of this pandemic,” the Premier said.
“At the end January, our Government was the first to declare a health emergency allowing isolation of patients to be enforced.
“We were the first to unveil an assistance package for those businesses most directly affected like tourism operators and seafood exporters.
“We know the effects of this outbreak will grow and intensify, and as they do, so will our measures to protect Queenslanders health, their jobs and their businesses.”
Deputy Premier and Treasurer Jackie Trad said the $500 million concessional loan facility would comprise loans of up to $250,000 with an initial 12-month interest free period for businesses to retain staff.
“The Queensland Government already backs farms and businesses with assistance loans in times of natural disasters,” Ms Trad said.
“Through the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority, we already have the mechanism in place to start rolling these loans out the door as soon as possible to help Queensland businesses keep staff on and survive this downturn.”
The Deputy Premier said in just two weeks, the initial offer of payroll tax deferral had already been taken up by almost 300 small and medium businesses.
“As the Prime Minister has pointed out, it’s small businesses that are hurting the most, and its them we moved to help first with our initial payroll tax deferral earlier this month,” she said.
“But we are seeing this outbreak is having a devastating impact on all Queensland companies, large and small, so now we will extend the offer of a six-month payroll tax deferral to all affected businesses across the state.”
“We know the deferral for small businesses was popular – in the first fortnight we’ve already seen companies from the Gold Coast to Far North Queensland in sectors from tourism and hospitality to marine engineering take up the offer.”
As with the initial payroll tax deferral offer, the Office of State Revenue will also work with affected businesses to create repayment plans for the deferred tax liabilities.
Information on the concessional loans will be available at www.qrida.qld.gov.au from thhe end of this week.
Information on payroll tax deferral can be found at www.osr.qld.gov.au
Media Contact: Geoff Breusch 0417 272 875 read more