Floods and fresh produce: what horticulture needs now
Let’s make something abundantly clear: growers are a tough bunch. Given the choice between asking for help and pushing through alone, they’ll almost always choose the latter. So, when they put their hands up and ask for help, it means the situation is dire—and it’s time to listen.
As Australia’s most disaster-prone state, Queenslanders have become adept at navigating the aftermath of floods, cyclones, and extreme weather. Yet, despite this experience, there are critical issues in disaster recovery that continue to impact the horticulture sector. This latest event has once again highlighted six key elements we need to get right.
A resilient transport network
Growers can’t recover if they can’t get their produce to market. A supply chain is only as strong as its weakest link. A missing bridge or a flooded road can cripple a region’s ability to move crops, and alternative routes often come at an unsustainable cost. We need to build the network back better or invest in alternative routes.
Transport subsidies
When roads are damaged, transportation costs skyrocket with these costs falling squarely on growers' shoulders. Already, we’ve seen a 12.5% flood levy and a $35+GST per pallet charge from transporters due to this event. Unlike other industries, growers can’t simply pass these costs onto consumers due to Australia’s competitive supply and demand model. The Queensland Government must step in to offset these additional costs, ensuring Queensland growers aren’t disproportionately affected. If city commuters enjoy 50-cent transport fares, surely growers deserve some relief too.
Disaster grants over loans
While disaster assistance loans have been activated, they are far from ideal. Loans mean more debt, more stress, and a prolonged financial burden. What growers need are grants—immediate, tangible relief that allows them to start rebuilding without the looming worry of future repayments.
Replanting support
Current funding rules create unfair inconsistencies. A lost seedling or tree that remains unplanted may be eligible for funding, yet if that same seedling is in the ground—even if planted the day before disaster struck—it is not. Meanwhile, livestock industries receive replacement grants, but there is no equivalent support for growers who lose entire crops to floodwaters. This disparity must be addressed.
PALM labour flexibility
Those growers who have workers under the PALM scheme MUST pay them a minimum of 30 hours a week regardless of how much they work. Surely in a disaster situation we can find a way to average those hours over the course of the placement thus allowing growers to continue to support the program whilst ensuring workers have assurance of continuing employment.
Time to assess damage after a disaster
Growers are inundated with requests for impact assessments—from media, government, and support agencies. But in the immediate aftermath, their priority is ensuring the safety of their families, staff, and homes. Only then can they begin to assess their crops—if they can even access them. Horticulture damage isn’t always immediate. Growers need time (sometimes months) to assess, reassess, and report their losses accurately.
Queensland growers play a vital role in feeding the nation. During disaster, they deserve a response that acknowledges their unique challenges and delivers targeted, practical solutions. Queensland has always led the way in designing fit for purpose disaster support and must continue to do so.
