Opposition leader Bill Shorten has used his first visit to North West Queensland to offer his support to graziers and communities suffering after the floods.
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Mr Shorten visited Cloncurry on Tuesday where he had a meeting with Mayor Greg Campbell and then attended a disaster recovery meeting before a quick tour of some of the flood-affected area.
A few months ahead of an election that Labor remains favourite to win, the opposition leader said he was in the region to make sure grazers and locals know they hadn't been forgotten about.
"This flood which has gone through North West Queensland is massive, the scale and dimension beyond anything people have seen in their lifetime and the scale of damage is truly heartbreaking," Mr Shorten said.
"Cattle by the tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands, local animal life, and massive damage to the very important mining of the north west with the railway line between Hughenden and Julia Creek being smashed and the roads closed."
Mr Shorten said as well as the effects to graziers and mining the ripple effects went through the community through small business in towns.
"The rest of Australia needs to remember this has happened to a very important part of Australia," he said.
Mr Shorten said he was committed to providing further assistance.
"It's only been the first two or three weeks and in parts of the Gulf the flood waters are still there," he said.
"We've got to stand behind our live cattle industy and our cattle industry more generally and we also need to rebuid vital rail iinfrastructure between Mount Isa and the coast vital to our mining and tens of thousands of jobs."
Mr Shorten said he was "open to debate" on whether small business could access the larger Category D assistance, wanted to assist with restocking the national herd, and he also stressed the importance of tourism to the region.
We've got to stand behind our live cattle industy
- Bill Shorten
"What I would say to people outside the region is that by about Anzac Day please contemplate making a trip to North West Queensland," he said.
"Things will be functioning, everyone will be welcoming of your presence, there's lots of things to do here, so we want to encourage the tourists and the grey nomads to come to the North West, it's a unique slice of Australia but they do need your support bu visiting."
Mr Shorten said he deliberately timed his visit to be a couple of weeks after the disaster to when "the adrenalin is slowing down".
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