**North Queensland**: Recent floods have devastated transport infrastructure, leading to food shortages in supermarkets while local businesses thrive. Community leaders urge for improvements to infrastructure and local sourcing to bolster food security in the region.
North Queensland has faced significant disruptions to its food supply due to recent floods that damaged crucial transport infrastructure, particularly the railway line and the Ed Kratzman Bridge over Ollera Creek. These incidents, which occurred on February 2, disrupted the usual delivery routes, leading to empty shelves in major supermarkets while smaller, independent retailers thrived.
In the wake of the flooding, Jonssons Farm Marketplace in Stratford reported a remarkable 300 per cent increase in shoppers, marking its busiest day in 13 years of operation. David Harris, the manager, emphasised the importance of sourcing local produce, stating, “Everything we probably can obtain is from local providers. We can still have supply problems of some lines, but we’re going to still get fresh produce every day.”
The flooding not only caused delays in food distribution but also highlighted the flawed supply routes that typically see food items transported over 400 kilometres from the Atherton Tablelands to larger cities like Townsville before they are redistributed.
Angela Nason, a greengrocer from Mareeba, expressed her dissatisfaction with the food supply disruptions, noting that the shortages made a “mockery” of the traditional food supply routes. Nason saw a surge in business, with over 1,000 customers visiting her small warehouse in just a week, alongside a fourfold increase in online orders. Despite the shortages of southern produce, her stock of tropical fruits remained strong, including bananas and mangoes, as she stated, “Our food is safe because it’s really grown on our doorstep.” Nonetheless, she indicated the challenges posed by competing with larger supermarkets due to their price and variety advantages.
Cairns Mayor Amy Eden has put forth requests for Coles and Woolworths to establish distribution centres in Cairns to alleviate the pressure on local providers during such crises, but neither supermarket has made any commitments. Coles explained that establishing such a facility would require weatherproof access, while both supermarkets highlighted their preparations prior to the crisis, indicating that they overstocked their North Queensland outlets with long-life products, which was not necessarily feasible for fresh produce.
Woolworths managed to address some of its supply issues by flying produce directly into Cairns and diverting trucks around damaged routes. A representative from Woolworths said, “Fresh products and those in high demand need to be continuously replenished,” highlighting the logistical challenges posed by the floods.
Moreover, there have been measures taken to transport food by air following the disruptions, with some produce flown into Cairns Airport. Barb Ford, managing director of a distribution centre, suggested that using larger aircraft could be beneficial for shipping additional goods in times of crisis, a strategy that was previously employed during Cyclone Yasi.
In light of these challenges, several community leaders and food security advocates have called for improved infrastructure that could withstand natural disasters, with suggestions to invest in the rail and road networks being put forth. Irene Portelli, a food security advocate, highlighted the need for communities to support local food hubs rather than relying solely on major supermarket supply chains. She remarked on the potential benefits of enhancing local sourcing, stating the substantial job opportunities that could arise from better connecting Tablelands produce to local retail outlets and markets.
Source: Noah Wire Services
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