As the severe wet weather event continues to impact Far North Queensland, Community Enterprise Queensland (CEQ), Sea Swift, and Torres Strait Island Regional Council (TSIRC) are working together to ensure food, fuel, and other essential supplies reach remote communities.
The extreme weather conditions have caused significant disruptions to supply chains, affecting the ability to fully stock all stores across not only Cape York and the Torres Strait, but in urban areas such as Cairns and Townsville.
CEQ, Sea Swift, and TSIRC are collaborating closely to manage logistics and ensure deliveries continue wherever possible in remote Far North Queensland, despite the weather challenges.
Local residents are urged to purchase only what they need and to avoid panic buying to ensure equitable access to supplies for all.
CEQ Chief Executive Officer Michael Dykes said the focus remains on keeping communities informed and ensuring that essential goods are available, even if some specific items are in limited supply.
“While efforts are being made to maintain a steady supply, residents may notice some shortages, particularly in fresh produce, and communities are encouraged to consider alternative products where possible, such as long-life milk instead of fresh milk,” he said.
“It’s important to think of others in the community, especially our more vulnerable residents, during difficult times like these.
“Anticipating this significant weather event, CEQ switched supply routes from rail to road to increase flexibility where possible, and I’d like to reassure customers that any extra cost from this is not passed on to them at the cash register.”
Mr Dykes said CEQ increases weekly stock levels in all stores during the wet season to ensure essential items remain available when deliveries are restricted, while emergency pallets of water are reserved in each store throughout the wet season.
Larger CEQ locations also have emergency generator backup in case of power outages, and all CEQ stores are equipped with Starlink connections to ensure communications remain online.
“Our teams are working around the clock to keep stores stocked and communities supported,” he said.
“While fresh product availability may be impacted, we have strong supply chains in place to ensure essential goods are accessible to all.
“We appreciate the understanding and cooperation of our customers during this time.”
James William, TSIRC Chief Executive Officer emphasised that the council’s mission is to enhance the liveability of our communities, and the team is fully committed to working with our valued partners to ensure the seamless delivery of essential services.
“Our council provides a diverse range of services to the communities we serve. In times of uncertainty, such as extreme weather events, we prioritise strengthening partnerships and communication. This collaborative approach allows us to work efficiently with other service providers, ensuring continuity of services.”
Access to our communities by air and sea is critical not only for transporting people but also for delivering goods and services. Adverse conditions can disrupt this access, so we collaborate with our stakeholders to provide updates, advise on impacts, and offer alternative arrangements, when necessary,” Mr William said.
Chris Pearce, Sea Swift Executive Chairman highlighted that the Torres Strait region is truly unique, and so are the challenges that all service providers face.
“Sea Swift are a resilient service, committed to the Far North and Torres Strait”, Mr Pearce said. “The climate and environment are a constant challenge for the communities and can present operational hurdles in logistics, transportation and freight. We are working together to ensure we minimise the impact on our customers. We are all actively monitoring the tides and wind warnings to keep our crew, service providers and communities safe and informed of potential impacts.
“We are working closely with the relevant authorities to bring critical supplies to Cairns and the Far North should the conditions worsen. Sea Swift has the capability to reassign resources in these circumstances to support our communities and has provided these options to the appropriate stakeholders.
Collaborating with local government as well as the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) is a high priority for Sea Swift. We are working together with local councils in the Far North, to ensure the regional and remote communities of Queensland are supported.”
CEQ, Sea Swift, and TSIRC remain committed to working together to ensure Far North Queensland remote communities receive the supplies they need.
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About CEQ
CEQ is a not-for-profit organisation responsible for providing goods and essential services to the Torres Strait, Northern Peninsula Area (NPA), mainland Aboriginal remote communities, and Palm Island through its now 31 stores.
CEQ manages Islanders Board of Industry and Service (IBIS) and Aboriginal Business, Industry and Service (ABIS) stores, as well as other stores including Col Jones, Mona’s Bazaar and Mitre 10 on Waibene and Community Home & Hardware in Bamaga.
For more information on CEQ, visit www.ceqld.org.au
About Sea Swift
Sea Swift has provided essential sea freight services to the remote and regional communities of Northern Australia since 1987 and is the region’s largest shipping company.
Sea Swift have over 500 employees and a well-established supply-chain network throughout the Torres Strait, through which they operate 365 days a year.
About TSIRC
The Torres Strait Island Regional Council (TSIRC is Australia’s most northernly municipality, representing 15 unique island communities, spread across 42,000km2 of sea, and an international border with Papua New Guinea. Established in 2008, TSIRC is the largest of the three councils representing the outer islands and manages the treaty agreement between the border of mainland Australia and Papua New Guinea (PNG).
For more information on TSIRC, visit www.tsirc.qld.gov.au
