Remote community freight contracts

The remote community freight contracts are targeted at reducing freight-related cost of living pressures in communities that face disadvantage in terms of freight market competitiveness.

Communities include:

• Northern Peninsula, Torres Strait and Gulf region
• Central West Queensland region
• South West Queensland region

Northern Peninsula, Torres Strait and Gulf region

In the Northern Peninsula, Torres Strait and Gulf region, freight funding assistance is delivered through a Remote Communities Freight Assistance Scheme.

The scheme applies a percentage discount at the cash register on purchases of eligible essential goods from participating retailers to ensure the benefit reaches local residents.

On 9 September 2024, the discount at the cash register increased from 5.2 per cent to 20 per cent to further assist communities facing freight-related cost of living pressures in the region.

Eligible essential goods include:

• fruit and vegetables
• meat and dairy
• frozen goods
• groceries.

The scheme is administered by the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority.

All retailers in the Northern Peninsula, Torres Strait and Gulf region selling eligible essential goods are encouraged to investigate their eligibility to apply to participate in the scheme.

Find out more about the scheme, including how to apply.

Central West Queensland region

TMR subsidises rail freight services between Rockhampton and Winton through its Central West Freight Services Contract with Linfox Australia Pty Ltd (Linfox).

This contract helps reduce cost of living pressures in regional Queensland by providing access to rail freight services at a subsidised rate.

South West Queensland region

Following a competitive procurement process, a remote community freight contract has been awarded to a Queensland-based freight services operator from 1 July 2024, Truckit.

The remote community freight contract will support key communities by providing subsidised road freight services to destinations along the Warrego Highway and Balonne Highway in the region.

This initiative is part of the Queensland Government’s commitment to relieve cost of living pressures for hard-working communities and businesses, through the local government areas of:

• Balonne
• Bulloo
• Murweh
• Paroo
• Quilpie.