By Rose Astley
The Noosa shire, the Sunshine Coast and Gympie as well as five other councils have now been added to the drought declaration.
Minister for the Agricultural Industry Development Mark Furner has accepted the recommendations from local drought committees that the complete lack of rain has compromised water supply and pastures.
“These declarations represent 67.4 per cent of the land area of Queensland,” Mr Furner said.
“In these regions, local drought committee members have observed extreme rainfall deficiencies, above average temperatures, poor pasture growth, low soil moisture profiles, failed winter grain, forage and horticultural crops, little to no planting of summer forage and grain crops, and significant concerns about stock, irrigation and rural water supplies.”
Mr Furner said that the drought councils usually meet at the end of the wet season in April, but conditions have worsened, forcing the committees to recommend the declarations on December 1.
The latest areas declared are as followed:
Fraser Coast Regional Council
Gold Coast City Council
Gympie Regional Council
Logan City Council
Moreton Regional Council
Noosa Council
Redland City Council
Sunshine Coast Regional Council.
