Media Release

INDEPENDENT Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter says very few people have contacted his office to complain about the cyclone recovery funding package – “but those who have paint a very disturbing picture”.

“Farmers, tourism operators, business proprietors, contractors and other organisations and people who have suffered losses and are getting nowhere with their applications for cyclone relief funding must contact us,” said Mr Katter.

“In discussions with Treasurer Wayne Swan, he has stated very clearly that if the package is restrictive, then he would be very angry indeed; that this was not the intention of the Federal Government.

“But he said he must be provided with cases to take to the Qld Government.

“Without people coming forward, we haven’t got a feather to fly with.

“We have been told that almost six weeks after the cyclone, guidelines hadn’t even been drawn up by the Qld Government, and it is the State which administers Federal disaster relief funding.”

Mr Katter said the Queensland Rural Adjustment Authority (QRAA) was already advising people that many who were eligible for relief in cyclone Larry were not eligible under new guidelines, leaving an impression that they were “deliberately highly‐restrictive criteria”.

“If this proves to be the case then let there be no doubt that there will be ‘hell to pay’,” he said.

Mr Katter said that it must be said that our state members simply weren’t worth feeding.

“They voted for a flood disaster recovery authority – an authority that doesn’t even mention the cyclone. We just told the Federal Government that they would have the word cyclone in the title of the legislation ‘or else’; and the Federal legislation included that word cyclone.

“It seems that the State administration of the $1.8 billion package is going to be done by an authority and a government who are totally attuned exclusively to the idea that this is a flood recovery.

“But we need the ammunition to fight this battle. We need to be told where people have been rejected or do not qualify. People must understand that without this ammunition we are not going to win this war – and a war it is.”