$64m freight funding to ease cost of living pressures in the Northern Peninsula, Torres Strait, Cape York and Gulf regions

The Cost of Living Summit has today announced a $64m freight funding package to help ease the cost of living pressures for remote communities in FNQ. Read more here.

The state government has announced a $64m freight funding package in a bid to ease cost of living pressures for families in the Northern Peninsula, Torres Strait, Cape York and Gulf regions.

The package, announced at the Cost of Living Summit on Thursday Island today, is targeted at easing pressure on local suppliers, reducing a “major” contributor to the cost of food and clothing.

Families and communities are hoping the package provides genuine relief to skyrocketing cost of living pressures.

More announcements are expected over the coming days.

Attending the summit were hundreds of people from a cross section of the community, trying to find solutions for those falling below the poverty line.

Images of the current freight supply in Northern Peninsula, Torres Strait, Cape York and Gulf regions. Picture: supplied

The $64m will be invested over the next five years and will be directed toward targeted subsidies for multi-modal freight services, the appointment of freight co-ordinators to manage complex supply chains and the development of community infrastructure such as cold storage.

Images of the current freight supply in Northern Peninsula, Torres Strait, Cape York and Gulf regions. Picture: supplied

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the community made it clear that one of the biggest challenges for the region was freight.

“We listened to the community. We’re delivering this funding package to tackle that challenge head on,” she said.

“By subsiding some of the freight costs to the Northern Peninsula, Torres Strait, Cape York

and Gulf regions, we can ease pressure on local suppliers, and reduce one of the major

factors making things like food, and clothing more expensive.”

Images of the current freight supply in Northern Peninsula, Torres Strait, Cape York and Gulf regions. Picture: supplied

The Torres Cape Indigenous Council Alliance (TCICA) welcomed the state government’s commitment of $64m over five years.

TCICA Chair and Mayor of Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council Robbie Sands said the funding will go a long way in helping to lower the costs.

“We thank the Queensland Government for listening to us and we look forward to working together to find long-term solutions to the challenges our communities face,” he said.

“It will find ways to better co-ordinate regional supply chains and improve cold storage to keep produce fresher for longer.”

Member for Cook Cynthia Lui supported the announcement and said cost of living continues to be a source of stress for people living in remote communities.

“We know the impact that supply chain issues can have on prices,” she said.

“People living in the very Far North – across the Torres Strait, Northern Peninsula and

Gulf – are at the very end of those supply chains. The price shocks tend to accumulate.”

Ms Lui said essentials such as fuel, food and utility costs have all increased creating impact on households and businesses.

Member for Cook Cynthia Lui supported Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's announcement of $64 million towards freight funding. Picture: supplied

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey talking at the cost of living summit on Thursday Island. Picture: supplied

“I’ve been advocating strongly for government and private enterprise to collaborate to bring down the cost of freight to these regions. That’s exactly what this package delivers,” she said.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said through a review his department conducted last year, they were able to identify the need for a more targeted, sustainable approach to managing freight disadvantage across the state.

“This funding will target the high price of freight that is fuelling cost-of-living pressures,

delivering on a package of work that addresses the unique challenges of transporting

essential goods to these remote regions,” he said.

Originally published as $64m freight funding to ease cost of living pressures in the Northern Peninsula, Torres Strait, Cape York and Gulf regions