Bob Katter

Federal Member for Kennedy, Bob Katter, together with Hinchinbrook MP, Nick Dametto, has today welcomed the activation of Category D Disaster Recovery Grants of up to $75,000 for impacted farmers following the devastating North Queensland floods, attributing full thanks to the sheer determination and unrelenting fight of local leaders and industry champions. More than $50 million in extraordinary disaster recovery packages were also announced to support North Queensland’s recovery, jointly funded by the Albanese and Crisafulli Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA). The package includes increased grants of up to $75,000 for primary producers, $50,000 for small businesses and not-for-profits, as well as funding for councils and community facilities across the region to assist with clean-up, repairs, and long-term reconstruction. At a press conference in Ingham today, Mr Katter extended his heartfelt thanks to the dedicated locals who refused to take no for an answer. “I want to thank Leah Russo, Grower Director with Canegrowers, for her tireless advocacy and sharp focus on what her growers needed,” he said. “Shane McCarthy, President of AgForce Queensland, was relentless in keeping the pressure on and making sure the voice of agriculture couldn’t be ignored. “Lawrence Di Bella, QCAR Herbert District Manager, provided firsthand evidence of the destruction and losses, making the case for support undeniable. “And I pay special tribute to Robert Lyon, a Herbert River district cane grower, who fought like a tiger for his community. He made sure the reality on the ground was heard loud and clear in Brisbane and Canberra.” Mr Katter also praised the leadership of Hinchinbrook Mayor Ramon Jayo and KAP State Member for Hinchinbrook Nick Dametto. “Ramon Jayo stood tall for his people every step of the way, and Nick Dametto was a bulldog in Brisbane, ensuring the fight stayed front and centre,” Mr Katter said. “The combined effort of these people—and their refusal to back down—delivered this outcome. Without them, we’d still be stuck in the bureaucratic mud. “We thank the Prime Minister and the Minister, but I want to be very clear, it is because of this group of people with a tiger in their tank —that the grants have finally been delivered. “The people of Hinchinbrook and the Herbert can take heart that their fighters on the ground never stopped swinging.” Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto said after the region had suffered the largest flooding event in over 50 years, it would come as a great relief to those who are eligible for the increased grant funding. “These grants will provide a leg up for many small businesses, primary producers and community organisations to assist them to rebuild at a time when it can feel like they have lost everything,” he said. “I would like to thank all those who have advocated and worked towards this important outcome for our district.” Mr Katter stressed the need for faster action in future disasters. “We all know North Queenslanders are resilient, but we shouldn’t have to fight this hard or wait this long. “When you’ve got crops in the ground rotting and machinery out of action, decisions should be made in days—not dragged out over weeks.” Mr Katter vowed to keep pushing for a more responsive disaster funding system that treats North Queenslanders with the urgency and respect they deserve. “But today, we celebrate the win—and we thank the fighters who never gave up.” ENDS

Member for Kennedy Bob Katter is supporting calls for Mount Isa and Cloncurry to be classified as ‘very remote’ so teachers can access the federally funded Reduction of Higher Education Loan Program (HELP). “We have written to the minister for education requesting an urgent review of the location classification systems in use and how we can streamline results and definitions across Australia,” Mr Katter said. Currently, education uses the ABS Remoteness Structure, which classifies Mount Isa and Cloncurry as ‘remote’, while health officials use the Modified Monash Model (MMM), which classifies the North West towns as ‘very remote’. “While both location’s classifications use data collected during the national census every five years, with the results collated into the Australian Statistical Geography Standard – Remoteness Areas (ASGS-RA), the differing results for our teachers living and working in remote areas is significant,” Mr Katter said. HELP provides financial assistance for students to pay costs associated with higher education. During 2024, the HELP scheme covered nearly $122,000 of education costs for the majority of students taking up work in very remote locations and $175,000 for graduates of medicine, dentistry and veterinary studies. “Despite being a wonderful place to live and raise a family we have difficulty recruiting qualified and experienced teachers to the North West, and when they see their fellow public servants who work in health being given extra benefits to work in areas away from the coast, well it’s not fair is it?” Mr Katter questioned. “I may be biased when it comes to how good it is living in north Queensland, but I am not blind to the challenges people in remote areas contend with; issues our coastal cousins could not even comprehend. “Not many metropolitan families would be comfortable with unqualified teachers instructing their children, waiting eight weeks to see a GP and paying between $125 and $300 for that appointment, waiting years for knee operations that will alleviate disability, driving a 20-hour round trip or paying $800 for a two-hour flight to the nearest city with no inflight meal or entertainment. “Yes we are tough in the North West but enough is enough; we demand the governments do more to progress remote communities towards having access to the same services provided to our city cousins,” Mr Katter said. Queensland Member for Traeger Robbie Katter has also contacted the federal education minister on this matter. ENDS

As North Queensland marks one month since record-breaking floods devastated the region, the answer is becoming more clear as to why Category D funding has taken so long to be activated. It is standard procedure for state governments to request this funding from the commonwealth, and past disasters of this nature and magnitude have seen such requests approved almost immediately. Mr Katter's office understands the state government only requested funding on Monday, March 3rd. So, why has the state government failed to act until now? At a press conference today, Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter called out the premier for failing North Queenslanders by delaying essential funding for beleaguered farmers and communities. Flanked by representatives from AgForce, Canegrowers, and Queensland Cane Agriculture and Renewables (QCAR), as well as KAP Deputy Leader and Member for Hinchinbrook Nick Dametto, Mr Katter shared the plight of the North's farmers. "North Queensland is not some distant, irrelevant outpost; it is the beating heart of our nation's agriculture and resources," Mr Katter declared. "Our farmers and graziers are the ones who put fresh food on the tables of every Australian every day. To treat them as anything less than vital is an affront to the very fabric of this nation." Today, QCAR also published an open letter to the prime minister[i], highlighting the situation faced by local producers, such as Caroline and Trevor Crisp of Helens Hill. The Crisps endured devastating losses, including the death of more than 50 cattle and extensive property damage. Their recovery costs will exceed $200,000. Mr Katter has consistently called for disaster relief, urging the government to raise grants for flood-affected farmers from the current $25,000 to $75,000. "It's truly beyond comprehension that in past disasters, the state government has recognised the scale of damage and responded, but now, when North Queensland is on its knees, we're being offered a pittance," Mr Katter said. "The Queensland government has more than dropped the ball on this. This isn't just about fairness; it's about survival. If this goes on for much longer, many of these farmers will not recover." 

KENNEDY MP Bob Katter has called on the prime minister to urgently address the financial hardships faced by farmers and small business owners in the wake of recent natural disasters, particularly the severe flooding and power outages that have crippled communities across Northern Queensland. In his latest correspondence to the prime minister, Mr Katter has requested to extend financial assistance to the agricultural sector and small businesses suffering from these devastating events. Increased Freight Costs and Agricultural Losses Mr Katter said that farmers, particularly those from the Tablelands, Cassowary Coast and Hinchinbrook regions, have suffered immense losses due to road closures that halted access to major fruit-growing areas for nearly three weeks. “The inability to transport produce to markets, coupled with increased freight costs once access was restored, has placed a substantial financial burden on local farmers, particularly banana and avocado producers. “Some agricultural businesses didn’t experience direct property damage and are now ineligible for these flood relief grants, but these farmers faced significant losses due to the disruption of their operations.” Support for Small Businesses Facing Losses Small business owners across the north, many of whom lost weeks of revenue due to road closures and power outages, also feel the strain. Mr Katter said that many of these businesses were ineligible for funding because their premises were not directly inundated by floodwaters. However, the loss of power—rendering refrigeration and other essential operations impossible—has caused significant stock losses, impacting their ability to continue trading. In particular, the Forrest Beach Supermarket, which lost over $9,000 in perishables, has shared its struggles with Mr Katter. The supermarket and other small businesses in the region could not claim compensation due to power-related damages despite suffering significant financial losses. Additionally, small businesses that have struggled to maintain their workforce through the disaster urgently need wage subsidies to support their employees during this recovery period. Even news outlets across the north were impacted by road closures. The Mareeba Express (Mareeba Shire) and the North West Weekly (Mount Isa City Council) lost thousands of dollars in income; unable to send their papers to print. Mr Katter said he was calling on the prime minister to broaden the eligibility criteria for small businesses to include compensation for power-related stock losses and to introduce wage subsidies for those businesses that have gone above and beyond to keep their staff employed during the prolonged flooding event. “Farmers and small business owners in my electorate have been hit hard by this disaster, and they need the government to step up and provide the support they deserve,” said Mr Katter. “These businesses, many of which are the backbone of our community, are suffering not only from the direct impacts of the disaster but from years of inaction on infrastructure upgrades and disaster preparedness. I urge the prime minister to ensure that these industries receive the financial assistance they need to rebuild and recover.” Mr Katter has provided the prime minister with additional documentation from local agricultural groups and small business owners to further highlight the extent of the financial hardship caused by the recent disasters. ENDS

FEDERAL Member for Kennedy Bob Katter has called on the Department of Infrastructure to make haste and determine the outcome of the Queensland Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program (rPPP) grants and declare the successful applicants before the federal election is called and before caretaker mode is enforced. “Grant recipients have been revealed in other states but not for Queensland,” Mr Katter said. “And if it goes into caretaker before those grants are awarded, it’ll be at least six months before anyone knows if they’re successful, but worse still, the whole grant program could be thrown out if there is a change of government. It is just not good enough that they are taking this long. “We have applicants like Cloncurry Shire Council who have spent countless hours collating information for their airport upgrade application only to be told the guidelines have changed at the eleventh hour and they should consider re-submitting. “Changing the rules halfway through a game is far from ideal, especially if the delay causes Queensland applicants to miss out on this vital funding because an election is called and government business grinds to a halt,” Mr Katter said. “The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts need to fast track assessments and get their recommendations to the Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister who makes the final decision.” Cloncurry Shire Mayor Greg Campbell said, “The airport is the gateway for FIFO staff at the Ernest Henry Mine, Dugald River, Eloise, Great Australian Mine (GAM) and Rocklands. “It will also be the main access for workers on the CopperString project and for the new Eva Mine,” Mr Campbell said. The rPPP grants offer regional councils and other organisations between $5M and $50M to improve local infrastructure and cover project costs of construction materials, leasing equipment, project labour and administrative overheads and aim to foster partner relationships between governments and community to deliver multi-purpose regional precincts tailored to local needs. With a project completion date of March 31, 2027, the grants can be utilised to deliver projects involving creating or expanding regional infrastructure neighbourhoods, commercial hubs or recreational areas. ENDS

Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter, whose electorate has about 2.5 million head of cattle, strongly supports recent statements by AgForce slamming the Commonwealth decision to ban live sheep export by sea from 2028. AgForce CEO, Michael Guerin, has recently called this decision "a grubby deal, pure and simple, that will destroy an industry and hollow out communities in the west." With the Western Australian election on our doorstep and the federal election looming large, the recent decision to ban live sheep export could very well play a pivotal role in who will take government. "Western Australia's sheep industry has been crucified by this decision. Our cattle industry has far from recovered from a similar knee-jerk decision. This recent ban has made all livestock businesses fearful and undermines the confidence of supply that international buyers need," Mr Katter said. "We have sought reassurance from government that there will be no knee-jerk decisions made about live cattle export. Our Australian producers and international markets must have clear, unequivocal statements that the government is committed to cattle live exports and the livelihoods of the many Australians that this industry supports. "Australia is one of the very few countries that actively regulates livestock exports, from our farms to overseas feedlots and abattoirs. If Australia stopped exporting livestock, animal welfare would decline in our current export markets as we are the only exporting country that invests time and money in animal welfare education at our overseas markets. "If Australia was to withdraw from this trade the progress to improve animal welfare standards would cease to be. "While we firmly support the opening of abattoirs in Australia and creating jobs for Australians, chilled meat exports will never replace livestock exports and our current importers will simply replace our livestock with those of other countries who do not provide training and education in livestock welfare resulting in further decline of animal welfare in these countries," he said. Queensland Member for Traeger Robbie Katter is also closely watching the Western Australian election as his electorate is home to many livestock management businesses. "Successive governments have really failed our farming families, and that needs to change. People who work with livestock care about their animals, whether they be beef or dairy cattle, horses, or fish stock. "It is about time government cared too," he said. Under no circumstance does either Bob or Robbie Katter condone animal cruelty but nor do they condone the actions of government and animal industry oversight bodies that could have, and should have, done their job and put measures in place to prevent animal cruelty from occurring. "Australian farming families have been let down by the industry bodies and by the governments they have paid millions of tax and levy dollars to; they have been double crossed by people who were meant to represent them and ensure animal cruelty does not occur in Australia's live export industry," Mr Katter said. ENDS

"This is a win. For the last 18 months we have been tenaciously working with the Minister and her team to get a real and enforceable USO that will deliver essential mobile coverage, regardless of one's distance from metro areas." Mr Katter said, "A USO is of immense value to us. The coast has these giant mountains everywhere, so coverage is bloody awful, and out west there is no coverage at all. The Low Earth Orbit satellites haven't worked nearly as well as they should've, so it is big news for us. "However, we note that it is one thing to make a commitment on the eve of an election, but another entirely to ensure it is actually enforced." As a long-time advocate for universal service across rural and remote Australia, Katter has fought tirelessly to hold Telstra accountable for its substandard services in these areas. The privatisation of Telstra was one of the core reasons Mr Katter walked away from the National Party in 2001, and it has since been a constant issue for constituents across Australia as the giant telco has failed to provide adequate, reliable service. "When the government sold off Telstra, they legislated a USO, requiring the newly privatised Telstra to keep delivering to the bush. However, the metro-corporates in Telstra soon found a way to avoid this responsibility by self-determining that the requirement did not include mobiles and charging a small fortune for land-line "connections". Recently, Mr Katter called for the nationalisation of Telstra[ii], saying, "Australia can no longer afford a privatised telecommunications sector that fails its people", after hearing from hundreds of customers who were frustrated with the company's utter failure to transition from 3G to 5G. He pointed out that the government's renewed focus on improving mobile services, particularly in regional and remote areas, closely mirrors the concerns he has long raised about the failings of Telstra and the broader telecommunications sector. "The solution is clear: we need a telecommunications sector that works for all Australians, whether they live in the city or the bush. People have had enough of the tyranny of distance and Telstra's monopoly over rural services has gone on long enough," Mr Katter said. Mr Katter reiterated his commitment to working with all levels of government and industry to ensure that rural Australians are not left behind in the digital age. He also called for continued vigilance to ensure that telecommunications infrastructure does not fall under the control of private interests that prioritise profits over people's needs. ENDS i https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/rowland/media-release/albanese-labor-government-building-australias-mobilefuture ii https://www.bobkatter.com.au/nationalise-telstra-katter-calls-for-buyout-of-telco-after-hearing-100s-of-customer-complaints

Mr Katter has called the transmission operator and power generation companies' comments short-sighted and greedy, and demanded the immediate sacking of all executives. "It would appear that a conflict of interest exists when the people in charge of delivering this project are the same people 'allegedly' trying to kill it off to protect their current monopoly position," said Mr Katter. Labelling the project as a must-do to open up North West Queensland for industry development and wealth generation, Mr Katter said CopperString will not only provide a reliable source of power for families who call the North West home, but it will allow companies to have confidence in commencing operations and in growing their businesses in the region. "APA CEO Adam Watson's comments are him protecting APA's monopoly on power generation in the North West," Mr Katter said. "Joining the NEM (National Electricity Market) would mean APA, who have gas turbines and a solar farm near Mount Isa, would have competition rather than the complete control of power production in the region." The original CopperString project saw transmission lines commencing at Hughenden and working installation both east and west simultaneously; however, Powerlink CEO Paul Simshauser wants all work to concentrate on completing the Townsville to Hughenden line. "Waiting for the east section to be completed before starting the western half is a farce. "They also want to change the Townsville to Hughenden line from a 330kV line to a 500kV, which implies the project will need re-scoping, negotiations with landholders and First Australian groups will need to be re-scheduled," Mr Katter said. "It will also mean small business outlays to join the network will be increased to install more equipment to be able to step down voltage to make the power usable." Mr Katter said he can see future state government knocking the project on the head without finishing it to shift funding for the Olympics or another pleasure palace or tunnel in Brisbane. "CopperString is a nation-building project," he said. "CopperString will connect mineral-rich North West Queensland to the NEM power system via a high voltage power line from Townsville to Mount Isa, which will provide a reliable energy source so the region can develop mining and other industries with confidence," Mr Katter said. Flinders Shire Mayor Kate Peddle echoed Mr Katter's thoughts on CopperString. "While there are always concerns about project costs, investing in infrastructure that drives economic growth and wealth creation is always justified, especially when you look at the returns we'll see. This corridor is a critical economic link and connecting it to the national grid is the key to unlocking its potential," she said. "It's an investment that will generate wealth for generations to come and it's worth every penny." ENDS