Qld Equine Influenza Update No 15 (Friday 28th September 2007)

Assistance available to people adversely affected by equine influenza

An immediate $20 million State Government assistance package is operational for all Queenslanders whose livelihoods are affected by the equine influenza outbreak, Premier Anna Bligh said today. Ms Bligh urged anyone suffering hardship to immediately contact the Equine Influenza helpline (13 25 23) or to visit the Government’s assistance centres across the affected “Red Zone”. A mobile one-stop shop also would be dispatched to areas in need. She said a one-stop shop opened this morning in Hamilton, in Brisbane’s racing precinct, to offer a wide range of help to people affected by the outbreak. It will complement the services available at Warwick, Goondiwindi, Mt Tamborine, Rosewood and Brookfield that provide advice on containment. The Government is set to expand the network of one-stop shops to other hot-spots. The immediate $20 million State Government assistance package includes: • An initial $5million to provide one-off payments for individuals and families of up to $155 for individuals and $750 for families. • $10 million to help struggling businesses meet interest payments on new or existing loans. Up to $5000 is available in dollar-for-dollar subsidies. • A $5 million recovery package to help the horse industry retain skilled employees and get back on their feet after the influenza outbreak. View full media release

View information about the assistance package