Councillor seeks funding options for Redlands properties affected by drought declaration
A Redland City Councillor is seeking funding opportunities for properties without access to town water following a state of drought declared for the region.
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A REDLAND City Councillor is seeking funding support for residents who rely on rain water after drought was officially declared for the region.
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Councillor Julie Talty (Div 6) this morning announced she would seek support for residents who were not supplied with town water after the State Government’s drought declaration this morning.
“I will be asking, now that we are officially drought declared, if there is any funding support for residents who are not on town water,” Cr Talty said.
“Many people may be surprised to know we have a significant number of residents, particularly in Division 6 who provide their own water through rainwater collection and who are now trucking in water to enable them to flush toilets and wash.”
She said farms, predominantly in Mount Cotton and Redland Bay, were impacted by the lack of rain.
The drought has now closed in on almost 70 per cent of southeast Queensland with eight councils now drought-declared.
Minister for Agricultural Industry Development Mark Furner said he had accepted the recommendations of the local drought committees based on the significant lack of rain, depleted pasture reserves and escalating concerns about agricultural water supply.
“Local drought committees usually meet at the end of the wet season in April, but due to the deteriorating conditions since then, these committees decided to recommend the areas be drought declared from 1 December,” Mr Furner said.
“There are now 41 councils and four part council areas drought declared, and 16 Individually Droughted Properties (IDPs) in a further five Local Government Areas,” he said.
“These declarations represent 67.4 per cent of the land area of Queensland.
“In these regions, local drought committee members have observed extreme rainfall deficiencies, above average temperatures, poor pasture growth, low soil moisture profiles, failed winter grain, forage and horticultural crops, little to no planting of summer forage and grain crops, and significant concerns about stock, irrigation and rural water supplies.
“Any producer who is experiencing difficult conditions in any council area that is not drought declared, can apply for an IDP declaration.
“This gives you the same access to Queensland drought assistance as an area declaration.”
View the drought declaration map at longpaddock.qld.gov.au
The areas drought-declared are:
Fraser Coast Regional Council
Gold Coast City Council
Gympie Regional Council
Logan City Council
Moreton Regional Council
Noosa Council
Redland City Council.
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