The Australian Government will provide financial assistance to flood-struck communities in Queensland.
I have spoken to Queensland Premier Anna Bligh several times today and I have reassured her that the Federal Government stands ready to assist the people of Queensland to respond to and recover from these events.
Joint State and Federal Government disaster relief and recovery arrangements will provide emergent assistance grants for families and individuals in Balonne, Murweh and Maranoa Shires.
These grants will provide $180 per person and up to a maximum of $900 for a family of five or more. They are available to people experiencing hardship due to a disaster, and who require assistance to meet their basic needs.
This assistance will be provided through the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA).
Assistance will also be provided to help councils to repair roads, bridges and other local infrastructure.
The following Local Government Areas can now access joint State and Federal disaster assistance for restoring public assets, clean-up costs and counter disaster operations: Burke, Central Highlands, Cloncurry, Doomadgee, Flinders, Murweh, Richmond, Carpentaria, Quilpie, McKinlay and Mount Isa.
The Federal Government is also making available Australian Defence Force helicopters and other assets to support evacuations and we will continue to work closely with Queensland authorities to provide assistance where required.
Both the Commonwealth and Queensland governments are staunchly committed to assisting individuals, families and communities affected by disaster events.