26 September 2023.
Hot and dry conditions coupled with the remaining feed in paddocks left over from previous good seasons is leaving Queensland in the high risk zone for an extreme bushfire season.
Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority (QRIDA) Manager of Disaster and Drought, Sheree Finney says with El Nino officially declared, it’s important for producers to prepare their property for bushfires now.
“Most producers have been lucky enough to experience good seasons over the past two years and as we start to experience warmer temperatures and dry conditions, the risk of bushfires is increasing significantly.
“Now is the time to be implementing or touching up your fire breaks, checking up on your firefighting equipment, ensuring you have adequate access to water and cleaning up any unnecessary vegetation on your property to give it the best chance of survival against this year’s bushfire season,” says Ms Finney.
While physical preparation is key, Ms Finney suggests producers review their insurance and have an evacuation plan in place ahead of this year’s bushfire season.
“Make sure your insurance policy is valid and know what you’re covered for, have a safety plan in place to keep you and your family safe including storing your important documents in a safe place so they don’t get damaged.”
Should producers be unlucky and suffer damage as the result of a significant bushfire event, Ms Finney says it’s important to document the damage and keep invoices from any clean up work.
“After a disaster strikes and funding becomes available, we will be looking for evidence of the damage through photos and videos and will also require proof of what’s been spent on getting the business re-established.
“Keep documents such as your identification, rates notice, lease agreements, financial statements, tax returns, bank statements and details of your insurance accessible as these will be important documents for applying for any assistance,” says Ms Finney.
QRIDA administers financial assistance to disaster affected primary producers, small businesses, and non-profit organisations under the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
Further information on the current assistance available can be found at qrida.qld.gov.au.