Flooding in North Queensland continues to overwhelm communities such as Ingham, where more than 3,000 homes have been affected.
I am committed to ensuring that the available services are delivered quickly and effectively to those Queenslanders seriously affected by these floods.
I have today asked Craig Emerson, the Minister for Small Business, Independent Contractors and the Service Economy to travel to North Queensland to oversee the delivery of Commonwealth support to people who have suffered as a result of widespread flooding in the region.
Mr Emerson will work from North Queensland to make sure help gets to those in need as quickly as possible.
Over the weekend, Treasurer Wayne Swan travelled to North Queensland to visit the township of Ingham, where flood waters last week peaked above 12 metres.
The Australian Government made provision last week for support to those affected by the Queensland floods under the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements.
Through these arrangements, partial reimbursement is provided to the Queensland Government to provide assistance such as grants for food, clothing, accommodation, emergency housing repairs and for expenditure on public infrastructure restoration.
The Government has also activated the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment for residents in Ingham to provide financial assistance to people who have been seriously injured, or whose principal place of residence has been destroyed, significantly damaged or is inaccessible for 48 hours or more as a direct result of the floods.
The AGDRP is a one-off lump sum payment of $1000 for adults and $400 for each child to help support their recovery.
These payments are available through Centrelink to eligible recipients.
The Australian Defence Force has also provided assistance directly to Ingham residents. Jet fuel was transported to the area on Thursday to assist with flying in relief assistance. Today, the ADF completed the supply and delivery of 4500 ration packs.
I have also asked Mr Emerson to continue to work closely with the Queensland Government to ensure any additional requests for help receive a timely response.
The Commonwealth Government through Emergency Management Australia continues to monitor conditions across North Queensland closely.
More information on Australian Government assistance will be available at www.disasterassist.gov.au