Cyclone Industry Recovery and Resilience Officers

About

$2.25 million is available to the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries to engage up to three temporary Cyclone Industry Recovery and Resilience Officers (CIRROs), one CIRRO Coordinator and one Rural Business Wellness Coach to support support primary producers to recover following the Tropical Cyclone Jasper, 13 - 28 December 2023 event in Far North Queensland.

Administering agency

Queensland Reconstruction Authority

Delivery agency

Department of Agriculture and Fisheries 

Funding acknowledgement

The package is jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments to support Queensland communities in their recovery from Tropical Cyclone Jasper, 13 - 28 December 2023 .

Cyclone Industry Recovery and Resilience Officers (CIRROs)

The CIRROs will:

• work to support primary producers for medium and longer-term recovery needs including the development of industry-specific on-farm business resilience plans and the provision of technical advice on Cyclone recovery
• assist primary producers impacted by the Cyclone event access available support measures such as recovery grants and concessional loans
• work with groups such as the Torres Cape Indigenous Council Alliance (TCICA) and other programs such as the Queensland Indigenous Land and Sea Rangers
• assist primary producers identify other services to support recovery i.e. farm financial counselling, mental health
• monitor and evaluate conditions in the areas impacted and report to Government on areas of emergent need
• deliver workshops on climate resilience, economic recovery and provide other support services to issues of emergent need.

Rural Business Wellness Coach

The Rural Business Wellness Coach will:

• provide free, independent wellness case management support with a strong focus on mental health support to primary producers in the most impacted areas in Northern Queensland
• work with the Rural Financial Counselling Service in North Queensland and provide mental health support to producers whilst managing financial hardships
• assist in the delivery of workshops with the CIRROs to develop resilience
• refer where appropriate producers to other mental health support such as Queensland Health’s Tackling Regional Adversity through Integrated Care (TRAIC), the Royal Flying Doctors Service, General Practioners, Lifeline’s Farmer to Farmer, BeyondBlue and other mental health suppliers.

Locations

The Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries will engage the temporary (CIRRO) staff and Business Wellness Coach to provide recovery assistance and support to primary producers within the LGAs activated for this relief measure within the abovementioned event:

• Cairns Regional Council
• Cassowary Coast Regional Council
• Cook Shire Council
• Douglas Shire Council
• Hinchinbrook Shire Council
• Hope Vale Shire Council
• Mareeba Shire Council
• Tablelands Shire Council
• Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council
• Yarrabah Shire Council

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