Deliveries by air, land and sea but supermarket shelves still run bare

Despite emergency freight deliveries by sea barges and air, major supermarkets are without essential stock with one MP saying it’s the worst shortage she has seen in decades.

Cold isles were left shrouded in the mist of refrigerators cooling zero product. Photo: Supplied

Despite emergency freight deliveries by sea barges and air, major supermarkets are without essential stock with one MP saying it’s the worst shortage she has seen in decades.

Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie added further Far North Local Government Areas to a declaration allowing supermarkets, warehouses and transport depots to operate 24/7 on Wednesday, but it’s provided little reprieve.

It comes after Mr Bleijie promised North Queensland had six weeks of essential supplies earlier this month but Cairns MP Michael Healy rubbished those claims with many unable to buy toilet paper, milk and rice.

“We were told there was six weeks of supply, Jarrod Bleijie told us but where is it all?” Mr Healy said.

“We have been going through this since humans moved into this region, every wet season.

“What is unbelievably concerning is, here we are with blue skies, we know the roads are closed, we know that is going to happen, but, where are the aircraft, and what is being done to get vehicles up here?

“I would like to invite Jarrod up here to ask, where are the supplies?

Mr Healy said now was not the time for panic buying and was the time to support local suppliers.

“We have lots of good local bakers, butchers and grocers looking after us so it’s important to support them.”

After more flooding again disrupted supply lines shelves in supermarkets across Cairns were again left empty. Photo: Dylan Nicholson

Barron River MP Bree James said six more flights of food were on the way over the next three days.

“Six more flights of food are on the way,” she said.

“Two flights today, two flights tomorrow, two flights Saturday. That’s 250 pallets of food.

“Hundreds of trucks are waiting for floodwaters to subside at Ingham to come north too.”

She also urged shoppers not to panic buy.

Bree James revealed that six more freight flights were on the way over the next few days. Photo: Dylan Nicholson

“Please, only buy for one to three days. Don’t do a full shop,” she said.

“These three weeks has been the worst supply chain interruptions I’ve seen in Cairns in my 20 plus years living here.”

Ms James said her understanding that the six weeks of stock referred to pantry stock items and non perishables.

“The state government will continue with the rapid response efforts by air, land, and sea until supply returns to normal,” she said.

Trinity Beach resident Cristian Covarrubias was walking down the refrigerated isle at Woolworths which was filled by only the mist of the refrigeration systems with no items to cool.

He said he was shocked that, a week after the worst of the rain, shelves were more empty than ever.

After more flooding again disrupted supply lines shelves in supermarkets across Cairns were again left empty. Photo: Dylan Nicholson

“I thought there would be at least some more fresh items like there was at the start of the week, but there is less than before,” he said.

“I wasn’t looking to fill a whole trolley just do my usual grocery shop but most of what I need is gone.”

He said he hadn’t noticed people panic buying.

“Maybe earlier people may have been able to get stuff, but most looked like me wandering around looking for what was left,” Mr Covarrubias said.

On Thursday morning the Woolworths store at Smithfield was well stocked with fresh meat but other isles were left devoid of product.

Fresh fruit and vegetables were limited to lemons, limes, and bananas, and the frozen food isle was all but empty bar a few desert items.

There were very low stocks of shelf stable items such as rice and pasta and little dairy products available.

After more flooding again disrupted supply lines shelves in supermarkets across Cairns were again left empty. Photo: Dylan Nicholson

Last weekend supermarkets were reassuring customers advising that product was being freighted up by “air land and sea”.

But it is understood that airfreight is being delayed by a lack of pilots available due to restrictions on flight hours and fatigue regulations.

Coles advised there were not just trucks on the way to deliver the much needed groceries.

“Coles has had pallets of food and essentials flown in on emergency flights organised by the Queensland government,” the spokesman said.

“Another flight is scheduled. bringing in an additional 22 pallets of food, including fresh produce into Cairns.

“We also have approximately 200 pallets of stock en route by barge scheduled to arrive in Cairns including meat, fresh produce and groceries on Monday.”

Originally published as Deliveries by air, land and sea but supermarket shelves still run bare