Freight funding to ease cost of living pressures

The Queensland Government will invest $64 million in a freight funding package for the remote northern regions over the next five years.

Funding will be directed toward targeted subsidies for multi-modal freight services, the appointment of freight coordinators to manage complex supply chains and the development of community infrastructure such as cold storage.

The Government said they would work closely with community, all levels of government and industry leaders to design and deliver these measures.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the local community had made it clear during last year’s Torres Strait Community Cabinet that one of the biggest challenges for the region was freight.

“We listened to the community, we’re delivering this funding package to tackle that challenge head on,” she said. “By subsiding some of the freight costs we can ease pressure on local suppliers, and reduce one of the major factors making things like food, and clothing more expensive.”

Member for Cook Cynthia Lui said the costof-living continued to be a source of stress for people living across Queensland.

“We know the impact that supply chain issues can have on prices.

“People living in the very Far North – across the Torres Strait, Northern Peninsula and Gulf – are at the very end of those supply chains. The price shocks tend to accumulate. Fuel, food and utility costs have all increased, and we understand the impact these rises have on households and businesses.

“I’ve been advocating strongly for government and private enterprise to collaborate to bring down the cost of freight to these