COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
Public Service Act 1999
Order to Rename the North Queensland Livestock Industry Recovery Agency and Head of Agency, Identify the Minister Responsible and Specify Functions for the Renamed National Drought and North Queensland Flood Response and Recovery Agency
I, General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd), Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council and under section 65 of the Public Service Act 1999, amend the Order to establish the North Queensland Livestock Industry Recovery Agency as an Executive Agency made on 21 February 2019 and amended on 28 March 2019, by omitting paragraphs (b) to (e) of that Order and substituting the following paragraphs:
(b) allocate the name National Drought and North Queensland Flood Response and Recovery Agency to the Executive Agency;
(c) allocate the name Coordinator-General to the Head of the Executive Agency;
(d) identify the Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management as the Minister responsible for the Executive Agency;
(e) specify the functions of the National Drought and North Queensland Flood Response and Recovery Agency be as follows:
North Queensland Flood Recovery and Response
- to provide strategic leadership and coordination for the Commonwealth’s recovery and reconstruction activities in areas of North, Far North and Western Queensland affected by the North and Far North Queensland Monsoon Trough (25 January – 14 February 2019);
- to administer the Commonwealth loan scheme to provide assistance to eligible primary producers by way of loans to Authorised Deposit-taking Institutions at the Government’s cost of borrowing;
- to design, develop, consult on and coordinate the delivery of a long-term plan for the recovery and reconstruction of these areas;
- to build and maintain effective working relationship with stakeholders in these areas to inform recovery and reconstruction priorities;
- to provide advice to the Minister on how existing and new Commonwealth policies and programs can best contribute to the recovery and reconstruction efforts in these areas;
- to provide a coordination point for information on associated Commonwealth recovery and reconstruction activities;
Drought
vii. to provide whole-of-government leadership, strategic policy advice and coordination of the Commonwealth’s drought response, recovery and preparation activities;
viii. to assist relevant portfolio ministers and agencies to develop and assess drought response policies and programs, including through Cabinet processes;
ix. to oversight implementation of the Australian Government’s Drought Response, Resilience and Preparedness Plan;
x. to provide advice to the Minister and, where necessary, the Prime Minister and/or Cabinet on how Commonwealth policies and programs can support farmers and drought‑affected communities, and contribute to recovery and reconstruction efforts;
xi. to provide a coordination point for information associated with Commonwealth drought activities;
xii. to build and maintain effective working relationships with stakeholders, including states and territories, local councils and not-for-profit and community organisations to deliver coordinated, effective support to farmers and regional communities;
xiii. to communicate with drought-affected farmers and communities on the various means of support available to them from the Commonwealth;
xiv. to represent the Minister and the Government in communities affected by drought;
xv. to advise the Minister of the ‘on-the-ground’ conditions in drought‑affected communities across Australia;
General
xvi. to provide advice to the Minister on matters relevant to the National Drought and North Queensland Flood Response and Recovery Agency; and
xvii. to undertake other relevant tasks as the Minister may require from time to time.
This Order will commence on the date of Gazettal.
Dated 5 December 2019
David Hurley
Governor-General
By His Excellency’s Command
Scott Morrison
Prime Minister