Delivering a steady stream of flood management plans

Following a series of natural disasters in 2021 and 2022, the Australian and Queensland Governments launched the Industry Recovery and Resilience Officer (IRRO) program to support primary producers in 22 local government areas impacted by the events. The IRRO program has delivered significant results for these Queensland regions.

The Burnett Mary Regional Group (BMRG) and Queensland Farmers Federation IRROs have worked with primary producers to develop more than 120 flood management plans. These plans support producers to future-proof their properties, helping them with:

• water management
• ideas to reduce the impact of high rainfall
• potential actions to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of heavy rainfall events.

BMRG’s Virginia Kelleher said IRROs visit a producer’s property, complete a flood management plan, and run through support services, including grants and funding opportunities available to eligible primary producers.

“We're able to help landholders with planning improvements in areas such as infrastructure, ground cover, rotational grazing, soil health and landscape hydration,” Virginia said.

"This preparation means these landholders are rain-ready for wet seasons, so they're in the best position to harvest and maximise that water."

Although having a flood management plan won’t stop a flood from coming, it can reduce the impact of such disasters. Producers Rhys and Amy Innes are from Marcella near Booubyjan in the Gympie region. They said developing a flood management plan prompted them to manage their farm proactively.

The Australian and Queensland Governments jointly fund the IRRO program under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements. After producers embraced it, the initiative was extended until December 2024.