Portfolio — 26 March 2026

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Ms Collins, used both a ministerial media release and Question Time on 26 March to advance a consistent message: the government is standing behind Queensland's primary producers during an active flood disaster, and the sector's underlying position — including domestic food security — remains sound.

The media release announced a multi-layered expansion of disaster assistance for flood-hit Queensland communities [TA-260326-agricu-58ba48515112]. Personal Hardship Assistance payments of $180 per individual and up to $900 for families of five or more are now available to residents across North Burnett, Bundaberg and Western Downs to cover emergency essentials [TA-260326-agricu-58ba48515112].

Disaster loan eligibility for primary producers, small businesses and not-for-profits has been extended to four additional local government areas — Charters Towers, Douglas, Longreach and Western Downs — with concessional loans of up to $2 million available for farmers and freight subsidies up to $5,000 [TA-260326-agricu-58ba48515112]. The application deadline for Emergency and Essential Services Hardship Assistance has been pushed to 27 April for eligible residents across ten local government areas affected by repeat flood events, and Maranoa council gains access to cost recovery for disaster operations and reconstruction of essential public assets [TA-260326-agricu-58ba48515112].

The Minister framed all of these measures explicitly around the contribution of primary producers to regional economies and national food security.

In the House, the Minister reinforced that framing directly. She told the chamber that Australia produces enough food to feed itself and currently exports around 80 per cent of primary produce by value [TA-260326-house-acd3ee5310f1:s150], a statement that functioned as a direct counter to any characterisation of a supply crisis. She also committed to continued government work with farmers on fuel and fertiliser — two input-cost pressure points the sector has flagged — and cited regular on-ground engagement with farmers, fishers and primary producers as her method for tracking conditions.

The two streams reinforce each other. The media release delivers concrete financial instruments — hardship payments, expanded loan geographies, extended deadlines, council cost recovery — while the parliamentary answer supplies the strategic rationale: the sector is resilient, the government is engaged, and no supply emergency exists. Together they present a portfolio position that is simultaneously responsive to an acute event and confident about the sector's structural position.

Policy staff should note the freight subsidy component (up to $5,000) as a relatively specific instrument now extended to new regions; this may draw scrutiny from regional members whose constituents fall outside the expanded eligibility boundaries.