Disaster funding boost reflects increasing cost of recovery

The funding boost was announced today by Queensland Senator Nita Green and Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter on the farm of CANEGROWERS members Michael and Zenan Reinaudo, whose family farm and home were seriously impacted by flooding.

The willingness of our elected representatives to be on the ground, talking directly to affected growers is valued highly by the industry.

CANEGROWERS CEO Dan Galligan thanked both the Federal and Queensland governments for recognising the scale of the challenge faced by farmers and responding with meaningful support.

“This increase reflects the increasing costs of recovery for growers who have been hit hard by recent flooding and will take years to bounce back,” Mr Galligan said.

“We’ve been clear from the beginning that the original $25,000 grant was simply nowhere near enough for the hardest-hit farming businesses. This boost will make a real difference for those struggling to rebuild.”

Mr Galligan acknowledged the role of Queensland Farmers’ Federation and other agricultural commodity groups in working alongside CANEGROWERS to push for this outcome.

“This was a collective effort,” Mr Galligan said. “We’ve worked closely with QFF and other industry bodies to ensure the government understood the extent of the damage and the level of support needed to get farming businesses back on track.”

He also thanked the impacted growers who provided the critical evidence needed to secure the funding increase.

“Our growers were instrumental in this outcome,” Mr Galligan said. “The detailed on-the-ground reports from farmers about the scale of the damage and the true cost of recovery gave us the evidence we needed to make the case for stronger support.”

Mr Galligan also welcomed recent updates to disaster funding regulations, which formalise new rules allowing growers to use recovery grants for replanting lost crops – a long-standing gap in Queensland’s disaster recovery framework.

“Allowing replanting costs to be covered is a crucial change,” Mr Galligan said. “We thank the Queensland Government for acting on this. Recovery isn’t just about cleaning up – it’s about getting crops back in the ground and restoring production.”

“This increase and the inclusion of replant costs are crucial steps forward, but this will be a long recovery that will need on-ground resources for several years,” Mr Galligan said.

“CANEGROWERS will keep working with the government to make sure Queensland’s cane farmers get the support they need to recover and thrive.”

Pictured from right: Ingham grower Michael Reinaudo, CANEGROWERS Herbert River Director Leah Russo, Qld Senator Nita Green, Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter, and CANEGROWERS Herbert River Director Paul Marbelli.