Today, in response to calls to prevent a drift of workers from the cyclone-affected areas of Far North Queensland, I am pleased to announce that the Australian Government will provide a wage subsidy for businesses, including farmers, affected by Tropical Cyclone Larry. This subsidy will help employers retain their workers and get back to production and business as quickly as possible.
This wage subsidy will allow employers to hold on to their employees in the clean-up and re-establishment phase and help prevent an exodus of workers who might otherwise become unemployed. Employers who qualify for the Australian Government $10,000 or $25,000 tax-free grants will also be eligible for this wage subsidy. To date, over 2600 businesses and farmers have applied for those tax-free grants.
Eligible businesses will receive $400 a fortnight for each full-time employee. This payment will be for a period of 13 weeks. To find out more, businesses should contact the Australian Government Cyclone Larry Wage Assistance Hotline (1802 001).
Farmers and businesses may also elect to use some or all of other Australian Government grants that have already been made available to help meet employee expenses while they re-establish their businesses.
The Australian Government is also making arrangements to redirect Work for the Dole activities to assist with the clean up and recovery effort. In addition, I am pleased to announce today that the National Harvest Labour Information Service will work closely with farmers and displaced agricultural workers to provide a central coordinating point for sourcing labour in the affected area.
Premier Beattie and I have agreed to fund free daily bus or train services from Cairns to Innisfail and the surrounding region for three months for those forced to travel from temporary accommodation back to their homes and communities.
These assistance measures complement those I have already announced including the $10,000 or $25,000 tax-free grants for businesses, including farmers, concessional loans up to $500,000, including a grant component up to $50,000, assistance with fuel excise costs for those using generators to power electricity and assistance for the dairy and aquaculture industries with the cost of hiring generators to power milking machines and the like. These further measures will directly assist farmers and other businesses to retain workers in the region and assist the people of Far North Queensland to rebuild their lives as quickly as possible.
Information on assistance for those affected by Tropical Cyclone Larry is available from the Australian Government Cyclone Larry Relief Hotline (1802 002) and the Australian Government Disaster Assistance website at www.disasterassist.gov.au.