Assistance to our Farmers
Category : General News
Media Release – Week ending 22 February 2019
Assistance to our Farmers – Cr Gaedtke welcomes funding opportunities
Cr Gaedtke understands the importance of providing ongoing support to our farmers. Cr Gaedtke advised “That Council has been successful with various Drought funding applications, and that staff have been very proactive with this identified need”.
The Queensland Government grant is to assist in strengthening communities in drought declared regions. In total Council has organised two community barbecues, one regional dinner and information evening, support for two rural minds workshops and the most recent event, Farming Ladies’ Day Out. A total of 250 rural residents attended the events over the four-month period.
Feedback from these events assist staff to understand what our Farmers consider important and helpful. Future funding applications will reflect the outcomes of the feedback and at the Council Ordinary Meeting held 13th February, it was agreed that Council support small scale social and information sessions at a sustainable cost where grant funding is available to support these initiatives for communities across the region.
Cr Gaedtke reflects on the most recent event Farming Ladies’ Day Out. Fifty-four lady farmers took a tour of Coominya’s Brisbane Valley Protein Precinct, many had no idea of this development occurring in their back yard. The ladies then enjoyed lunch at Cormorant Bay, whereby the LGAQ Ambassador Ms Heather Foord and local Mt Kilcoy dairy farmer Ms Kym Harrison offered rousing advice as the two inspirational speakers.
Ms Harrison spoke of the challenges that she and her family faced during the various stages of developing the Mt Kilcoy dairy and other achievements through the need of diversification. Three service providers including the farm household case offer from Centrelink, a rural financial counsellor and a worker from TherapyPro which offer psychological support throughout the region attended and mingled with the ladies.
Cr Gaedtke reported that an outstanding number of 5317 people viewed Ms Harrison’s speech that was posted on her facebook page.
