Media Release

KAP Leader and Federal Member for Kennedy Hon Bob Katter MP has today called on the Prime Minister to provide fodder drops to flood-affected properties in North Queensland’s Mid-West, in what is becoming an emerging catastrophe.

“We have been in constant contact of course with cattleman throughout North Queensland’s Mid-West – an area of a million square kilometres, almost all of inland NQ,” Mr Katter said.

“The situation has dramatically worsened over the last few days.

“Cattle cannot move around much in the black soil, it clods onto their hooves, they cannot forage for food, they are in a very poor and weakened position, after what had been a very long dry.

“I know full well how dire this can be, as I lost half of my own small herd during Cyclone Ted (1976). A combination of extremely weakened cattle from a long dry, heavy rain making it difficult for them to forage and a wind chill factor bringing on pneumonia-like condition. One of our neighbours lost 1,250 head – over a million dollars in today’s money.

“Cattlemen in the Mid-West are telling me conditions are very similar now to those of Cyclone Ted.

“All of the dreadful heartbreak in Townsville; the wet is starting to widen its devastation now across the Mid-West country.”

Mr Katter is today speaking to the Prime Minister on the situation.

“We have booked a call into the Prime Minister today, where I will speak to him personally to request fodder drops.

“I’m not saying fodder drops are all of the answer, or part of the answer, but there is no doubt they will save a lot of cattle that would otherwise die.

“The meat processing industry is one of the four giant employers of Queensland. But no cattle equals no meat processing.”

Mr Katter has also praised media reports that industry groups would be assisting with fodder drops.

“I thank wholeheartedly the industry groups for assisting with fodder drops. I also thank the local councils who are on the ground dealing with this disaster.”

—ENDS—