Monday 3 February
Hello Hinchinbrook,

What a crazy week we have had. I am in Forrest Beach and whilst I am safe there were a few homes with bad flooding, I am thinking of everyone in Ingham who had no choice but to leave their homes, I cannot begin to imagine what that must feel like.

This has been a week of firsts to me, my first natural disaster. Back in Adelaide our natural disasters are most likely bushfires, but they have never affected me. Now, my first month in Hinchinbrook and we have been hit by the worst flood in recent memory.

At Forrest Beach flooding is minor, despite a few homes close to the beach, on Fern Street, but after seeing the Queensland Ambulance Service video flying over Ingham it almost doesn’t feel real to me. At the beach we are isolated and unable to get into Ingham and it’s hard to believe what is happening is real.

In other firsts this week, on Monday 3rd February I went door knocking on Wattle Street and although everyone on the street were safe, a couple were deeply concerned for their parents/parents-in-law located on Fern Street.

The woman, Maria Boeyen, was deeply concerned for her parents, flooding had been getting higher and higher each day.

Monday morning it was chest deep, but her mother with Alzheimer’s and her father refused to leave. I reported back to the Disaster Management Group and it was made priority one. The Queensland Fire Service (QFS) located here in Forrest Beach left immediately, but although in the presence of safety professionals the couple on Fern Street continued to refuse. A small group of the Disaster Management Group and myself decided taking Maria to her parents place would convince them to leave and on arrival at the home, Maria’s parents accepted help almost immediately. Shortly after a QFS operator was wading through the water holding the family dog. After seeing this Maria was delighted and said, “If he’s giving up his dog, he's coming.”

While I am safe in Forrest Beach, limited phone reception and lack of power is making life dull, I continue to get in touch with my mum every morning who is deservedly worried. But it’s okay and I guess we just have to wait it out.

Wednesday 5 February
I was woken at 3:30 in the morning today with my fire alarm blaring, it shook me awake, I couldn’t imagine a worse wake up. I predict the humidity made it believe there was smoke.

In other news I managed to slowly get back into work today, I interviewed some neighbours and checked up on the family on Wattle Street to see how they were doing, and it was nice to feel more connected again.

Thursday 6 February
I think today was the hardest day so far, it hit me at how tedious this is, and I’m sick of it. I’m sick of being isolated, and stuck.

In brighter news, I managed to get into Ingham today, I visited the fire and rescue and Ingham power station. It was nice to get out of Forrest Beach. But I couldn’t have a normal day could I, my car battery decided to die.

Friday 7 February
With a flat battery in the car, I can no longer charge my phone in it but luckily for me the North Queensland community is an amazing one. The Forrest Beach Shops and Takeaway have been amazing during this week, allowing people to turn up and use their generators to charge devices.

I also got in contact with my colleague Sherie and her and her husband came to Forrest Beach for me with a solar panel to charge devices, and a mobile jump starter for the car.

Saturday 8 February
I made the mistake this morning of checking Ergon Energy’s Facebook page first thing, and I was frustrated to see that some places in Forrest Beach had received power but I was still without. Of course, I was thrilled for the rest of the Forrest Beach community, we had been isolated and without power for almost a week, so it was great everybody could enjoy some peace and quiet without those generators going!

Feeling sorry for myself I sat outside charging my phone with the solar power Sherie had given me, although I was feeling upset and sick of it, excitement was rising as I saw Ergon Energy trucks driving around completing checks. At 12:39 I heard a cheer from my neighbours, and power was back!

Monday 10 February
After a long week, I am starting to feel back to normal, I have a new battery on my car, a full tank of petrol and best of all - air con!

I understand that although it may be a while before things get back to normal, we can be proud of ourselves and should acknowledge how lucky we are to live in this region surrounded by the wonderful people.

This community is strong and with potential flood warnings continuing tonight, I believe we are resilient enough to make it through another one, but fingers crossed we don’t have to!

The flooding in the Hinchinbrook Shire has left thousands of homes and people without power, as Ergon Energy made the decision to turn off power on Sunday 2nd February.

At Ingham Substation on Thursday water had receding and Ergon energy were completing tasks, to gain an understanding for when power is likely to be turned back on.

Area Manager Herbert for Ergon Energy Katrina Lennon announced that they will turn it on as soon as possible.

“We are getting it on as soon as possible. It will be a staggered approach, because they're all set off different feeders, so not everyone's lights are all going to come on at once,” she said.

“We treat our most critical sites so we prioritize that to the critical infrastructure in town, so that we can get those main priorities re-energized sooner rather than later, so that will see a staggered approach happening as soon as this cell is working.”

Treasurer, Minister for Energy and Minister for Home Ownership David Janetzki MP understands what people in Ingham and surrounding areas are dealing with and mirrors Katrina Lennon’s expertise.

“We have over 100 Ergon staff around Ingham ready to help with any connection faults,” he said.

“This community has suffered so much over the last few days, and Ergon and the state government is throwing everything in support of them, while there may be a slim chance of re-energisation of the substation today, everything is being done and if it is re-energized, it will be one of the quickest ever to come back online.

“The people of Ingham have suffered, and the state government is throwing everything in support of it.

“Already, Ergon, this week, has put on reconnected 20,000 homes across North Queensland, and I pay tribute to their staff that are working around the clock to deliver for Queensland.”

Ingham Substation was re-energised on Thursday 6 February.

Minister for Communities, Amanda Camm MP was also present at the substation and said she is working hard to get power back to the community.

“My department is working very closely with Minister Leahy's department in the community recovery effort and while we are still in the midst of this disaster, everybody and all resources of the government are working very hard to reconnect power to this community,” Amanda Camm MP said.

Nick Dametto MP Member for Hinchinbrook said he thanks the Ergon Energy team and all their efforts to try and get the substation up and running as soon as possible.

“It's no secret, we've been going through hell right here for the last seven days,” he added.

“We're not out of it yet. There's a lot of work that needs to be done. Connecting supply chains is paramount right now, but also connecting your electrical network around the Hinchinbrook Shire so we can get power back into those homes, those businesses, so we can start to get on our feet, is our priority.”

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Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has been on the ground in Ingham and surrounding areas, tirelessly working to support the recovery of communities devastated by severe flooding.
In addition to serving snags to emergency services, David Crisafulli, MP, has been providing critical updates to the community and coordinating the deployment of support teams from the south to assist with recovery and rehabilitation efforts.
While he acknowledges the exceptional work of the SES, firefighters, and other dedicated organisations, David stresses that the path to recovery will be long and challenging.
“I said to Queenslanders, that we will be here and we will see this job through and to have Canberra rowing in that same direction will make all the difference because it's going to be a long, hard road,” David stated.
With the river receding but power still out, water systems disconnected, and roads cut off, David spoke of the immense difficulties faced by those in and around Ingham.
He praised the efforts of Ergon Energy for their outstanding work in restoring power to those who had been cut off:
“To the local Ergon staff as well as those across the state, you have done amazing work, truly amazing work. To see those homes connected in Townsville and Palm and Giru in a short period of time was amazing.”
David emphasised that he and his team have been working around the clock to ensure that the state government is doing everything possible to restore power, water, roads, food, housing, and infrastructure to affected communities.
Claiming “When we build back, we build better.”
Disaster assistance payments are being delivered, and David reiterated that his team is working closely with emergency services at every step of the recovery process.

“This is a team effort and we’re here until the job is done.”

David also reminisced about his childhood, reflecting on how the current floods are comparable to the devastating 1967 floods that Ingham experienced.
“Growing up in Ingham we would always talk about the 1967 floods - many locals believe this one could be worse.”
Lastly, regarding the reconnection of communities by road, David spoke about rebuilding the bridge at Ollera Creek, emphasising that it will be stronger and more resilient than ever, further strengthening the Bruce Highway.
He also revealed that they have secured Canberra's commitment to help fund the project.
David took a moment to thank the Australian Defence Force (ADF) for their vital role in opening a temporary bridge, ensuring that essential services could reach Ingham during this critical time.

Nick Dametto

No politician wants to face a local disaster in their region. However, Nick Dametto, the Member for Hinchinbrook Shire, has stepped up to support his community by diving into the heart of the crisis.

Nick explained the difficulties the region was encountering and shared his own personal experience of the tragedy:

“Personally, it's been a very busy couple of days here across the Hinchinbrook Shire.

“We've seen everything from the flood waters rising all the way through to them subsiding.

"We have gone from a scenario of trying to save people and get people out of their homes to now, being in a situation where it's switching over into what we call recovery mode.

“We're starting to see emergency services getting out there and doing the important work of getting the community back on track.  

“We have Ergon workers out there doing everything they can to restore power to the area.  

“What I've seen is a community working together in the hardest of times.”

Mr Dametto said that his most important job to date is connecting people with the right services to get them the help they need during this devastating time.

“I've been on the ground here since Monday afternoon, and we've been doing all sorts of things in conjunction with the local disaster management group SES and emergency services to try and make sure that we're getting food to people.

“We're getting fuel to people so they can refuel their generators, everything from organising and helping organise busses and personnel into the town as well as ferrying around.

“We've had the premier of Queensland, David Crisafulli. We've had a number of ministers. Dave Janetzki, energy minister, Amanda Camm, Minister for Communities, as well as Dan Purdy, our Police Minister, visit.  

“Being able to get around and show them exactly the devastation has been important, not only to tell the story of what's happened here, but to advocate for the federal and state funding that's necessary to get us back on track.

Nick explained how the community was coping with such a catastrophic event:

“In the community, you've got to understand, people have lost everything.

“People have lost everything that they've owned.  

“Many going without insurance because of the exacerbated price of insurance premiums across the north, insurance has become unattainable for many, and some have gone without, and now will go without because they have not got that backup and support morale.  

“People's patience has been tested through this event, and they have a right to feel worn out and tired from what's happened.  

“But what I have seen, and this was what makes me immensely proud, is the community spirit shining through.

“I've spoken at nauseum about emergency services and the ADF staff that have been helping out, but we've had community members that have just stood up.  

“They don't wear a badge; they don't have a job title in this they've just fed the community.

“Thank you to everyone across the Hinchinbrook Shire who's banded together to get through this together, people who have done the best in the most trying of circumstances.

“I'm just completely heartened to continue hearing those stories coming through as flood-affected areas become reconnected with the rest of us across the Hinchinbrook Shire.  

"I want to ensure that everyone who has contributed feels recognised and appreciated. We couldn't have done it without all of you, and I sincerely thank you for everything you've done."

After heavy rainfall on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd February, rivers across the region recorded major flood levels, leaving Ingham and surrounding areas inundated in flood water.

The Herbert River at Gleneagle on Monday 3rd February peaked at 10.23 metres at 8:20am, over two metres above the major flood level (8 metres).

The Herbert River at Trebonne peaked at 15.85 metres at 10:14am, almost four metres above the major flood level (12 metres).

At Ingham Pump Station the Herbert River reached 14.91 meters at 10:40am, two metres above the major flood level (12 metres).

At Halifax the Herbert River water level peaked at 5.66 metres at 10:44pm, major flood level for Herbert River in Halifax is 5 metres.

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For more than seven days, the Bruce Highway connecting traffic both north and south in the Hinchinbrook region has been cut off from both essential resources and access to surrounding areas due to the closure of a vital link in the region’s infrastructure—the Ollera Creek bridge on the Bruce Highway.
In a critical response to provide the community with necessary supplies, a temporary bridge was erected.
State member for Hinchinbrook, Nick Dametto, explained how the temporary bridge was a game changer for the region:
“Having the temporary bridge go up was a real changing of the gears when it comes to getting the services and the equipment to get Hinchinbrook Shire back on track.
“Seeing those the first Ergon Energy trucks coming across the bridge was quite uplifting, that extra help was on its way.”
As the floodwaters began to subside, the priority became restoring access from both the north and south. To support this, the temporary bridge was closed on Saturday 8th February for further restoration.
Essential access to assist the Ingham community was provided by Queensland Rail via a small bus on the rail tracks.
Then finally, on Monday 10th February at 8pm, the Ollera Creek Bridge opened for freight, supply, and emergency vehicles heading north to Cairns.

The bridge opened ahead of schedule but the early opening aimed to support freight movement before potential flooding impacts north of Ingham in the following days.

On Tuesday 11th February the Bruce Highway at the Seymour River (between Cardwell and Ingham) was expected to close.

Queensland Police coordinated the movement of freight, supply, and emergency vehicles.

From Tuesday afternoon onwards the bridge was open to general traffic, with traffic control and speed restrictions in place until further notice.

The people of Ingham were thrilled with the announcement as they can now travel south.

Fire and Rescue teams have been flying into Ingham from all over the state to help those affected by the devastating floods.

Senior Fire Fighter from Cairns Nathan Sandford was flown into Ingham from Cairns on Sunday afternoon.

Nathan said they worked from sunset to sunrise.

“Initially, it was welfare checks, and if anyone was unwell or in need of getting evacuated, we evacuated them,” said Mr Sandford.

“Unfortunately, due to a lack of resources on all emergency services parts, we had nowhere to take them. Once we got them to high ground and dry land, they were told to try and speak to family members or make their way to the evacuation centre if they could.  

“We took them somewhere safe because they were obviously in the lower areas, anywhere from a meter to maybe two meters of fast-flowing water through their houses or around their houses.  

“We used our motorised swift watercraft, which handles the fast-flowing water.”

Nathan said they had two crafts operating and his craft only evacuated between 20-50 people.

Calls for assistance were going through the Fire and Rescue Inspector Jack Emeleus.

“In a normal world, people would ring triple zero, Firecom would assign a job to the nearest truck, and they go and get the job. In this world, there are so many jobs, and we have boat crews, which have to be flexible; they don't know who to give it to,” explained Inspector Emeleus.

“Firecom pins me a job. We have a chat. I'm aware of where all my teams are at the moment. I look at the team that's most capable of doing that job because each boat has slightly different capabilities.

“I allocate the job, and then I have a triage list, which I maintain; I keep track of all the jobs, and when they're completed, the cruise advisor tells Firecom, we mark that off the list and go to the next job.”

Now jobs emergencies and evacuations have calmed down Inspector Emeleus said they are conducting damage assessments.

“We are doing damage assessments in between jobs, our crews this morning have been out to three different evacs or medical checks,” said Inspector Emeleus.

“We have replacement swift water teams arriving tomorrow, and their main tasking will be damage assessments, but they're all capable of doing rescue as well.

“We will have three motorised boats and three full teams in here, and another full team still in Halifax tomorrow, and when they're not doing emergency tasking, they'll be out doing damage assessments.

“My team's done about 350 damage assessments in the last 24 hours, and that information is available now to council and Ergon, who can make some decisions about what to do next.”

Inspector Emeleus said that although his team will be receiving relief, Queensland Fire and Rescue’s next job will be installing a flexible habitat that can accommodate 90 people.

“It is a large tent for 90 people, 30 of whom will be our staff who are managing the incident, and the other 60 beds will be available to SES volunteers to help with the cleanup,” said Inspector Emeleus.

“It’s going to be set up near the Catholic school, the college, that's our next major task.”

The community in Hinchinbrook has been in urgent need of support as locals recover from the devastating impacts of the recent floods.
One of the major challenges residents have faced is the widespread power outages. SpinFX Electrical has been at the forefront of efforts to restore power to flood-affected homes, working tirelessly to get people back on their feet.
In addition to this, the company has been collaborating with wholesalers in Townsville to ensure that essential supplies are delivered, helping other electrical companies in the area continue their recovery efforts as well.
Alongside this, the company has also been supplying generators and has been subcontracted by a company in Townsville to get a telecom site up and running on Palm Island.
Owner, Jesse Spina, stated how the weather has been tough for recovery efforts:
“It has been challenging for our staff, because they've had their own personal affairs to attend to as well.
“Which in my opinion, comes way before work.”
Jesse explained how the community has been extremely supportive in their efforts to help restore power in the region:
“It's so heartwarming, especially in such a devastating time for our community.”
On a personal note, Jesse explained how hard the floods have been on the Ingham community:
“It's heartbreaking,” he shared.
“Up until recently, probably the last five years I've lived on a cane Farm in Macknade, so I've never actually been in Ingham during a flood and to see the destruction and what's happened here is just, it's, it's devastating.
“It's gonna take the community a long time to recover from this.”
Jesse stated that Spin Fix want to help the community as much as they can:
“We are locals, and we're supporting local, that's the main thing.
“We want to help as many people as we can.”

The Ingham community is in mourning after two tragic deaths occurred during the ongoing flood disaster, highlighting the devastating impact of the severe weather conditions.
On Sunday, February 2, a 63-year-old woman tragically lost her life when an SES vessel, carrying her and five other passengers, overturned in the floodwaters. A bystander helped the remaining passengers back into the vessel, but, unfortunately, the woman was later found nearby, having passed away.
Just two days later, on Tuesday morning, the community was struck by another tragedy. An 82-year-old woman was discovered deceased in a cane paddock near Bemerside, Ingham, after being reported missing the previous evening. She had last been seen inside her two-story home around 6pm on Monday.
These heartbreaking incidents underscore the overwhelming severity of the floods currently ravaging the region. The loss has deeply affected the local community, casting a shadow of grief over the area.
Premier of Queensland, David Crisafulli, spoke out on the tragedies:
"There has been a loss of a life in floodwaters in Ingham.
"That's a really tight-knit community, our thoughts and prayers are with the family.
The community’s thoughts are with the families and friends of the victims during this incredibly difficult time.

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Disaster hit primary producers, small businesses and not-for-profits in seven northern Queensland council areas can now apply for concessional loans to assist with their recovery from the sustained rains and flooding endured the past week.
Loans have been activated for the local government areas (LGAs) of Burdekin, Cairns, Cassowary Coast, Hinchinbrook, Palm Island, Townsville and Yarrabah, provided through the joint Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA)
Disaster Assistance Loans up to $250,000 for eligible primary producers and small businesses and up to $100,000 for eligible not-for-profits will help re-establish operations by covering costs relating to:
   • Repairing or replacing damaged plant and equipment
   • Repairing or replacing buildings
   • Resupplying stock or livestock
Essential Working Capital Loans up to $100,000 are available to help operators carry on business operations, including paying salaries or wages, creditors, rent or rates.
Primary producers can also access freight subsidies up to $5,000 for the movement of stock, feed, machinery, fuel, water, and building or fencing materials.
Federal Minister for Emergency Management Jenny McAllister said the assistance activated today is important to supporting the North Queensland community during this challenging time.
 “Farmers, businesses and not-for-profit organisations are central to the North Queensland community, and we know that heavy rainfall and severe flooding has made it difficult for them to stay open.”
“We’re moving quickly to activate financial assistance for impacted communities.
“The Albanese Government will continue working hand in glove with the Queensland Government to support them through this event and into recovery.”
Queensland Minister for Disaster Recovery Ann Leahy said disaster loans provided a way forward for hard-working North Queenslanders in need.
“When disaster events strike, it’s often those who can least afford it who are most affected and unable to recover quickly,” Minister Leahy said.
“We have unlocked support for affected farmers and small businesses to help get them back on their feet.
“These loans follow the activation of Personal Hardship Assistance and council support for large parts of the region.
“Our government will continue working with the Commonwealth to extend further relief measures where required.”
For loan applications visit the QRIDA website, www.qrida.qld.gov.au, or call 1800 623 946.
Primary producers interested in freight subsidies can contact Queensland’s Department of Primary Industries on 13 25 23 or via www.daf.qld.gov.au.

AT A GLANCE
   • Flood affected primary producers, small businesses and not-for-profits in seven NQ LGAs can now apply for concessional loans to support recovery.
   • Disaster Assistance Loans up to $250,000 and Essential Working Capital Loans up to $100,000 are available to eligible operators in Burdekin, Cairns, Cassowary Coast, Hinchinbrook, Palm Island, Townsville, Yarrabah.
   • Loans will help with repairs to equipment, replacement of stock, loss of income, and the continuity of operations.

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Wilmar Sugar and Renewables reopened its two Herbert mills to employees on Monday (10 February) to begin the clean-up and recovery effort.
General Manager Operations Mike McLeod said Victoria and Macknade mills got power back on over the weekend, and electrical crews were doing safety checks before each area was made accessible. He said the focus for the first couple of days would be on cleaning up and assessing damage.
“This was a very significant flood event and we know there’ll be losses and damage to our infrastructure, particularly our cane rail network.
“It’ll take a couple of weeks to get a detailed picture of what we’re dealing with. As we understand the situation, we’ll finalise our work plan to get our factories and rail network back in order.”
Mr McLeod said the flood event would put some pressure on the Herbert maintenance program.
“We’ve lost time like everyone else, and of course many of our people have been directly impacted by the flood. But we’ve managed flood disasters before and we’ll manage this one.
“We’ve got an excellent team up here and good resources. We’ll work through the process and reorganise our work program to get the factories and rail line ready for the 2025 season.”
Mr McLeod said he was proud of the extent to which Wilmar and its employees supported the Herbert community during the disaster.
“Our people were out and about, lending a hand and giving practical support where they could.
“We donated two ute-loads of 15L bottles of water to residents at the Ingham Evacuation Centre, and ran a sausage sizzle for people staying there.
“We also set up a portable crib room at an employee’s front yard at Forrest Beach, and it became a bit of a community hub. It was somewhere locals could charge their phones, have a coffee, enjoy a bit of air-conditioning and have a chat.
“It was really appreciated.”

Fruit and vegetable market operators My Fruit Shop decided to give away five tonnes worth of fresh produce to families affected by the flooding. Opposed to letting it rot in their storage, they packed it all onto a tractor and drove it down to St Teresa’s College in Abergowrie for everyone to come and take as much as they needed.
Tim and Matthias Fehrenbacher of My Fruit Shop said “We had a mass of food that we didn’t want to go to waste and thought it be best shared amongst those in need.” They knew that a lot of people were struggling and being flood effected themselves in part, they decided to donate the $30,000 worth of fresh produce.
By spreading the word on their Facebook page and others in the community sharing the posts around, St Teresa’s had a huge turnout. Filling that craving for fresh food after living for a length of time on tinned goods, the community could not give more thanks to the men behind My Fruit Shop’s kindness.
“You guys are amazing! My kids and I were all so excited to get some fresh fruit and veg - thank you so so much,” Ms Natalie Wiese commented.
“Thank you so much for your generosity and beautiful produce. We have shared your delicious fruit and veggies with a very grateful Abergowrie community,” said St Teresa's College.
Many of the affected residents in the area said they were extremely appreciative of the generosity and so lucky to be part of such a kind-hearted community.
Locals supporting locals, and those with means giving to those who are struggling, is what My Fruit Shop championed when they brought their produce to relieve their flood-affected community. Tim and Mattias’ donation helped ease the burden on struggling families by providing joy with their fresh food.

Our hearts go out to all the residents who have experienced inundation of their homes and premises due to flooding over the past week. The flooding experienced has been devastating and not only homes have been destroyed, but many businesses have suffered loss of valuable stock, equipment, livestock and machinery occasioned by both water and the power outage. Terrible losses have occurred and there will be a long recovery process, not only the material matters, but the emotional scarring that has occurred due to the traumatic experiences of water inundation and physical evacuation of premises in the middle of the night.
These are experiences that no one will ever forget.
But as a community we must now rally and move as quickly as possible to try and return to some normality and it was heartwarming to see residents getting into the clean-up efforts of their properties the moment the water started to recede, with neighbours helping each other to get the job done. The Council is committed to doing its part and has commenced the clean-up processes including normal domestic rubbish collection, flood affected waste collection, and road/street opening and cleaning operations as a matter of urgency.
As I write this column, we are still not out of danger with the renewed rises in the river and the forecast for potentially more heavy rain in our lower catchment.  But we must start to rebuild in the knowledge that together, with the assistance of many including our state and federal governments, we will reestablish our community from this devastation.
The SES and Queensland Rural Fire Brigade are assisting residents to clear out and clean flood affected homes and residents seeking assistance in that regard are asked to register by phoning 132 500.
Financial hardship assistance packages have now been released by both the state and federal government and I urge our residents to apply for the assistance on offer either online or by visiting the Community Hub that has been established at the TAFE Centre on Townsville Road as soon as possible. I am sure that further assistance measures will be released once the waters clear and the full extent of damage is assessed and becomes apparent.

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A Message From The Mayor

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This was a horrific event, and we must thank the many many people who came to our assistance in response to the threat. The emergency service agencies including Queensland Fire, Police, Fire and Rescue, Swift Water Rescue, Water Police, and the State Emergency Services.
They each played a major part in helping our community members in the rising water, protecting our community and saving our residents in a time of need and we will be forever indebted to these brave men and women who went about their work in some quite atrocious conditions.  
We must also thank the Council staff who were involved in the response effort, from the administration staff who were involved and remain involved in the disaster coordination centre, to the technical officers whom worked tirelessly in ensuring that Council facilities and operations such as the water treatment plant remained operational during the highest peak of flooding. Thank you to you all.
We must also thank all those kind residents and community organisations who quickly rallied to help their neighbours, the displaced residents in evacuation, ferrying supplies about, cleaning out our community and sporting facilities and generally watching over our elderly residents in the days following the peak. There were many many people assisting as best they could. I will not mention any names at present for fear of injustice in leaving someone out, but we will acknowledge your effort sometime in the future as you are all applauded.
As we go about the recovery and the rebuilding our lives, please do not feel alone as there is much assistance about to help you as an individual and we will continue to push out information as it becomes available. The disaster recovery centre remains open and if you are in need of assistance or information, simply contact the centre on 4776 4600.
I wish you all the best.

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Queensland Cane Agriculture and Renewables (QCAR) estimates there could be up to one million fewer tonnes of cane cut across the Herbert this year, resulting in between $25 to $50 million in economic losses. 
However, the impacts of recent flooding in the Hinchinbrook Shire have yet to be realised because the waters are still receding. 
Early indications indicate significant crop losses and infrastructure damage to farms, drains, the cane rail network, machinery, and plants.
How does the flooding disaster impact cane yields?
It is difficult to estimate the crop losses associated with this severe event, but history tells us that saturated soil and waterlogging can severely impact yields. As soil pores fill with water, roots and soil organisms cannot access oxygen. Together with reduced sunlight, these conditions drop potential cane yields.
Floodwaters have inundated paddocks across the Ingham region, including this farm belonging to QCAR Herbert District Committee Chairman and sugarcane farmer, Matthew Pappin. The Pappins have already suffered financial impacts from having standover cane before dealing with the current flood event. Pictures: Contributed
Research from BSES and CSR showed that for every day the water table was less than 0.5 from the soil surface, cane yields reduced by 0.5 tonnes of cane per hectare.
Over the past three decades, there has been numerous years when flooding significantly impacted the region. They include:

The final crop yields varied significantly based upon the following factors associated with wet weather events:
   • Duration of the flooding event.

   • If sunny days occur while water is still covering the crop, or the crop is standing in water. In this situation, the water becomes very hot, and the crop becomes extremely stressed and, in some cases, dies.
   • Soil type. Generally, clay soils are more prone to waterlogging for long periods of time.
   • Position on the landscape. Higher fields are generally less impacted.
   • The month the flooding occurs in relation to crop growth.
   • The crop height when impacted by flooding. Generally, late harvested cane and drought affected cane is the greatest impacted, due to flooding.
   • The follow up rains post the flooding event, either low or high rainfall. The 1991 crop was impacted by flooding and a sudden stop to the wet season in April, with a subsequent drought leading a very low yielding year.
   • The amount of sunlight received throughout the wet season. The 2024 harvest was a good example of a year when there was low solar radiation to grow the crop leading to low crop yields.
   • Slit loadings on the crop, reducing the crop’s ability to undertake photosynthesis after flooding.
   • Impact on a crop caused by the loss of crop or stool. It is not uncommon for crops to fail or stool to be lost, due to adverse weather events.
   • The lead into the flooding event. Years when rains begin early generally result in lower tonnes harvested, like in 2009 and 2011. However, in 2019 there was good cane growth and better than expected yields due to favourable weather conditions both before and after the flood event.
Generally best yields occur after a succession of dry years in the Herbert; the graph below indicates this.

What will the 2025 crop yield look like?
It is difficult to predict what yield the district may experience this year; however early indications are not positive because of the following:
   • Late conclusion of the 2024 harvest 
   • Standover crops
   • The significant rain events during November and December in 2024, and wet weather harvesting impacting on the following crop. (We also made many ruts in field towards the end of the 2024 crush).
   • Receiving more than 2000mm of rainfall throughout the crops’ growing period thus far.
Looking into our crystal ball, we could expect to harvest a crop in the 3M tonne plus range.
If we have follow-up adverse weather events, it is more likely we will see the more disastrous scenario of fewer than 3M tonnes harvested.
A crop more than 4M tonnes is highly unlikely now, unless we have a miracle. Only time will tell what the 2025 crop harvest will yield.
Estimating the cost of the flood
The Herbert region harvests around 4.5M tonnes of sugarcane annually.
Based on historical data, QCAR estimates the Herbert will experience a loss of between 0.5 to 1M tonnes of cane due to this flooding disaster.
Based on an assumed $50 per tonne of cane, this equates to an economic loss of cane proceeds to the growers of between $25 to $50 million.  
This figure does not consider other losses from damages, repairs, and replanting of crops in some areas – all required actions, and at considerable expense, to ensure a business is again operational.
Lower crop yields, debris in the crop at harvest, infrastructure damage (i.e. to the cane rail network), and necessary repairs to damaged machinery (i.e. from equipment submersed in floodwaters) also impact the harvesting and milling sectors as well as the local business community. They too will need help to revive the sugarcane industry ahead of the 2025 crush.
How do we activate Category D status to unlock disaster funding for farmers?
Category D natural disaster assistance is provided by the Australian government in response to severe disaster events.
It is only provided in extraordinary circumstances and is considered after the assessment of a disaster’s impact.
The Queensland Government Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA) undertake the assessment and provide their recommendations to the federal government.
QRA works with the Premier and Cabinet to seek endorsement of each Category C/D request form via the appropriate process, e.g. a Cabinet Budget Review Committee.
If approved, the Premier will then formally request endorsement from the Prime Minister through a letter. (Source: https://www.qra.qld.gov.au/)
The PM advises whether the Category C/D request was fully or partially approved, confirms the cost-sharing ratio between the state and federal governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) system, and any conditions that must be met.
QCAR believes the financial losses incurred both in the short term and long term justify the activation of Category D natural disaster assistance and it is prepared to work closely with the authorities to undertake the necessary assessments to make this happen.

“To the people of Ingham and the Hinchinbrook, we’re here for you.

Our dedicated staff have been working around the clock to care for the community since this rainfall event began.

Our hearts go out to the family, friends, and everyone affected by the tragic loss of life that this tightknit community has experienced.

We also acknowledge those whose homes have been impacted by floodwaters, including members of our own staff.

Through these challenges, the compassion and resilience of the local people have shone through.

There have also been moments of hope; our medical teams have helped bring new life into the world during recent days.

Our local hospital has remained open every step of the way, and our focus remains on supporting the community in the days and weeks ahead.

We are actively working to bring in additional staff to relieve those who have been working so tirelessly.

For anyone in the community who is feeling overwhelmed, please know that 24/7 mental health support is available at these numbers:

Lifeline: 13 11 14
Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636

And, as always, our emergency department in Ingham remains open for urgent medical care.

Stay safe, look after each other, and know that your health service stands with you.”