Introduction by Croakey: Food security experts published an article at Croakey last week raising concerns that the Queensland Government had not extended funding to a scheme reducing freight costs to communities in the State’s north: the Northern Peninsula, Torres Strait and Gulf regions.
At a time when the cost-of-living and global fuel crises are hitting remote communities, Queensland Budget documents indicated that funding to the Remote Communities Freight Assistance Scheme will decrease from $29.4 million in 2025-26 to $4.4 million in 2026-27.
When Croakey then put a series of related questions to the Queensland Government, a Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) spokesperson provided this response:
“The recent Queensland Budget includes nearly $20 million additional funding to extend the Retail Scheme. TMR will continue to monitor the scheme to ensure it remains effective in delivering cost-of-living relief for communities in the Cape York and surrounding regions, ensuring maximum community benefit within the available funding.”
No further detail was provided, leaving many questions unanswered about the Government’s plans.
To understand the plans for the Scheme, the researchers have now asked the Government to address the questions below.
Megan Ferguson, Bronwyn Fredericks, Eddie Miles, Emma Tonkin and Julie Brimblecombe write:
In seeking clarity about the Government’s plans for supporting food security in remote communities, we ask that the Department address the following questions.
Q1. It appears that the name of the Remote Communities Freight Assistance Scheme has changed or will change. How does the Remote Communities Freight Assistance Scheme and the Cape Freight Subsidy (Retail Scheme) from 2026-27 to 2029, differ to the way the Remote Communities Freight Assistance Scheme has been delivered to date?
[The Queensland Government budget papers report that expenditure on the Remote Communities Freight Assistance Scheme was $29.4m in 2025-26. In 2026-27, $7,502,000 is budgeted ($4,400,000, Remote Communities Freight Assistance Scheme; $3,102,000, Cape Freight Subsidy (Retail Scheme)). In 2027-28 and 2028-29, $9,914,000 and $6,608,000 is budgeted in the Cape Freight Subsidy (Retail Scheme).]Q2. What was the rationale for changing the Scheme?
Q3. Will the eligibility of regions, local government areas, communities or towns, or businesses change in 2026-29?
[Currently eligible businesses within 17 local government areas in North Queensland regions are included. These areas are a priority for subsidy support as they have the most complex supply chains and are hardest hit by the cost of freight.]Q4. Will the value of the discount remain at 20 percent in 2026-29?
[The discount was increased from 5.2 percent to 20 percent, just months after the Remote Communities Freight Assistance Scheme was implemented due to community feedback. A discount of 20 percent is in line with international guidelines and evidence for positive public health outcomes when applied to healthy foods.]Q5. Will the list of eligible essential goods remain in 2026-29?
[Essential goods include food, drink and household items used for domestic purposes, and exclude a list of items in the Remote Communities Freight Assistance Scheme Guidelines, such as confectionery, soft drink containing sugar, tobacco, whitegoods and fuel]Q6. Has the Government consulted with community members in the eligible local government areas, and if not, why not?
[The Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority’s annual Client Satisfaction Survey is an important measure to seek feedback from businesses. Feedback from community members is also critical to understand the how the subsidy is addressing the cost-of-living pressures experienced by North Queenslanders.]Author details
Associate Professor Megan Ferguson is a Research Fellow at the University of Queensland. Megan has a long history working in partnership with remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in addressing food security and food environments, particularly supporting the use of local evidence to inform organisational and public policy.
Professor Bronwyn Fredericks is an Indigenous woman from SE Qld, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Engagement) at the University of Queensland. She is also a theme lead in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Futures. Bronwyn has a long history of working with the tertiary sector, governments, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-based organisations. As part of this she was appointed Commissioner presiding over the Queensland Inquiry into Service Provision in Discrete Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, including remote stores. She is Chair of Croakey Health Media.
Eddie Miles is from the Warlpiri and Gurindji people. Eddie has significant experience based in the remote retail sector and in food security and food environment research, in supporting Aboriginal Store Director leadership in their businesses and driving their research priorities.
Dr Emma Tonkin is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Queensland and Monash University with a background in nutrition and dietetics. Emma works alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers and remote communities to gain insight into the histories and structural complexities, in particular food environments and food systems, that contribute to the health outcomes experienced by remote community members.
Professor Julie Brimblecombe is a Professor at Monash University, and has a long history working in partnership with remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in addressing food security and food environments, particularly in responding to Indigenous-led organisation’s research priorities.
• Croakey will post the Queensland Government’s responses here.
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