26 May
2006 - The Australian Government continues to
demonstrate its strong commitment to assist Queensland
fishing and fishing related businesses affected
by the declaration of the Marine Protected Areas
in the Great Barrier Reef with a significant boost
to the support available.
Australian Government Minister
for the Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian
Campbell, said: “The case has been made very strongly
by Coalition members in far North Queensland,
and in particular, the Member for Leichhardt,
Warren Entsch, and Queensland National Party Senator
Ron Boswell, that further enhancements were needed
to ensure fairness for fishermen in the achievement
of this great environmental outcome.”
The key enhancements to the
Australian Government structural adjustment package
are:
A 20 per cent increase in payments
for approved applications for Full Business Restructuring
Assistance (FBRA) grants.
Changes to ensure that FBRA grants cover the approved
full cost of restructuring a business.
Extending the provision of additional financial
and relationship counsellors to the region for
a further 12 months.
Senator Campbell said the enhancements related
to Full Business Restructuring Assistance would
be applied to grants already paid to businesses
impacted by the rezoning.
“I am pleased to announce that
additional funds have also been committed to enable
my Department and the Queensland Rural Adjustment
Authority (QRAA) to speed up the processing of
applications following the late rush of applications
received just before the closing date on 30 April.
Applicants impacted by Cyclone
Larry have until 31 May 2006 to submit an application.
The Australian Government has
already allocated some $87 million in assistance
for fishing and related businesses, approving
more than $64 million in grants to date to more
than 600 fishermen and fishing related businesses
to help them adjust to the rezoning. The package
is now expanded even further.
“The Great Barrier Reef Marine
Park Structural Adjustment Package is designed
to help businesses manage the impacts of rezoning
in the marine park, but other pressures have exacerbated
the challenges faced by impacted businesses and
the real tales of hardship cannot be ignored,”
Senator Campbell said.
“It should not be forgotten
that the Queensland Government decision soon after
the rezoning to create the Great Barrier Reef
Marine Park Coast Marine Park, covering much of
the Queensland state waters, had a big impact
on the fishing industry. This was done without
any assistance from the Queensland Government
to impacted fishing families.”
Recent decisions by the Queensland
Government to reduce the size of the fishing industry,
such as the huge reduction in the reef line fishery
introduced at the same time as the rezoning, have
badly hurt fishing families and the businesses
dependent on them. Queensland has provided no
assistance.
“The Queensland Government should
follow the Australian Government’s lead to provide
generous assistance to Queensland fishermen. The
Australian Government calls on the Queensland
Government to match its commitment to Queensland
fishing businesses by providing generous assistance
to people affected by Queensland government decisions,”
Senator Campbell said.
The Australian Government made
the historic decision to expand protection for
the Great Barrier Reef from about 4 per cent to
some 33 per cent.
This decision has been applauded
by clear thinking environmental groups around
the world. In October last year the Australian
Government was the recipient of the ‘Gift to the
Earth’ award from the World Wide Fund for Nature
for the protection of the Great Barrier Reef.
