Howard heads for battered areas
2006-03-22 08:09
Innisfail - Prime Minister John Howard headed for cyclone-shattered northeastern Australia on Wednesday, promising a strong federal government response to help families rebuild their homes.
With houses wrecked, roads cut and crops flattened by Monday's Cyclone Larry, the damage bill is expected to top A$1bn.
"I'm going up to listen to the people, that's the first thing I'll do," Howard said as he left Melbourne for the northeastern Queensland coast and the small town of Innisfail, which bore the brunt of the cyclone.
"Then having heard what they have to say I'll give a strong federal government response," he said.
"The infrastructure damage is perhaps a little less than we might have feared.
"But the damage to many of the small businesses has been significant and one of my aims will be to try and find a way of helping the small businesses through because they are the lifeblood of these communities."
Howard said assistance would also be extended to banana and sugar cane farmers, who are estimated to have lost a total of some A$500m worth of crops.
Heavy rains continue
Deputy prime minister Mark Vaile, who is also visiting Innisfail, said farmers would need financial assistance for up to a year.
"Their incomes are going to be severely disrupted for the next six to 12 months and obviously we are going to have to provide them the support to carry on and to rebuild their farming operations and assistance for replanting and the like," he said.
In Innisfail, troops were helping residents clean up debris as heavy rains continued to soak the battered town, where up to half the houses have sustained some roof damage.
Some 40 families had sought refuge in a Red Cross shelter but a spokesperson for Queensland emergency services said it was difficult to put a figure on the total number of homeless.
Many whose homes were damaged are believed to be sheltering with friends and relatives.
As the daunting relief operation ground into gear, a new cyclone was strengthening as it headed towards the northeast coast.
Emergency generators brought in
Tropical Cyclone Wati was already a category three storm but was expected to remain in offshore waters, though gale force winds and high seas could hit the area, the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre said.
Cyclone Larry was a highest-level category five cyclone when it made landfall at Innisfail on Monday morning.
Innisfail was still without power on Wednesday, though emergency generators had been brought in to power vital installations and supermarkets.
Airforce planes were dropping tarpaulins to cover the broken roofs, as well as bringing in food and water.
Impromptu barbecues and gas-fired soup kitchens manned by volunteers had sprung up in the town after local shops donated food supplies that would have rotted without refrigeration.