Support funding announced for businesses, producers affected by February floods

Businesses devastated by the February floods will share in $500 million in grants, the Federal Government announced in Gympie on Saturday.

The Federal Government has announced grants in excess of half a billion dollars will be available to businesses affected by the February 2022 floods.

The announcement was made on Saturday in Gympie where the flood peaked at almost 23m and solidified its status as the worst to hit Gympie in more than a century.

Three people were killed, thousands of residents were evacuated or left stranded without power for almost five days and countless people lost their homes and businesses.

Emergency Management Minister Bridget McKenzie was joined by Wide Bay MP Llew O’Brien and Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig in the city’s CBD.

Emergency Management Minister Bridget McKenzie was joined by Wide Bay MP Llew O’Brien and Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig in Duke St, where the $500k spend was announced.

She said the spend was designed to help businesses and producers affected by the floods with the massive clean up effort, which is ongoing in the Gympie region as it is across Maryborough, Brisbane, Logan, the Gold Coast and Northern NSW.

“We’re talking about 50,000 dollar grants for small business to help them with their immediate clean up costs and get them back on their feet and grants of up to 75,000 dollars for primary producers,” she said.

She added $20,000 grants would also be available for sporting clubs and community groups, with extra funding announced for telecommunication towers.

It comes as Mayor Glen Hartwig called on the Federal Government for urgent funding assistance, and slammed Gympie’s “second rate” internet, which hampered floods responses.

Senator McKenzie said communications going down during a natural disaster was “a problem”.

“We need to make sure our comms system is able to handle the increased demand that a natural disaster brings to keep people safe,” she said.

Mary St floods – 27/02/22

Investigations are ongoing into the exact number of businesses affected by the floods in the Gympie region, but Wide Bay MP Llew O’Brien said the whole of Mary St in Gympie’s CBD was “out of action” as well as iconic meat producer Nolan Meats.

“I think they were hoping to get up and running by Monday,” Senator McKenzie said.

Prior to the press conference held in Duke St, Senator McKenzie, Mr O’Brien and Mayor Glen Hartwig walked Mary St with the Chamber of Commerce and spoke with business owners affected by the floods.

“I’ve been given a whole list of initiatives to think about as we plan and prepare for the long recovery,” she said.

“They also talked to me about mental health supports, long after the event has gone away … a lot of these businesses are small enterprises … and they need to look after their mental health during this period of time.”

Rural Fire Brigade trucks in Mary Street, Gympie after the floods. Photo: Elizabeth Neil

But despite the ongoing clean up effort, Senator McKenzie said country spirit shone through with business owners working together.

The total cost to the Gympie region following the February floods was estimated by Mr Harwig to be close to $100 million.

Originally published as Support funding announced for businesses, producers affected by February floods