With floods in north Queensland, a summer of bushfires around the country, and one of the worst droughts in living memory, some people have taken to social media calling for foreign aid to be cut and to help Australians "first and foremost".

But amid social media calls to cut foreign aid until north-west Queenslanders are helped with flood relief, the experts say it's more complicated than that.

Queensland senator and One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has put forward a notice of motion in the Senate, asking the Government to divert its allocation of foreign aid in the upcoming 2019 budget to relief assistance for drought, fire and flooding victims.

"I think it's important that we need to start looking after the Australian people, right across the country," Senator Hanson told the ABC.

Senator Hanson has put a notice of motion in the Senate to divert the allocation of foreign aid. ( ABC News )

"People are on their knees. They've had enough, and I think the nail was in the coffin for a lot of these people when these floods just went through the whole [Gulf] country.

"It's about time we started looking after our own instead of worrying about whether other countries have bridges built or roads built, or hospitals put up to look after their people."

But chief advocate for World Vision Australia Tim Costello said he was deeply dispirited by the standard of setting two deserving groups against each other for funding.

One of the posts on Facebook, calling for cuts to foreign aid. ( ABC Rural: Melanie Groves )

"We don't set the poor here [against] the income tax the banks pay, or against superannuation concessions or defence spending," Mr Costello said.

"[So] why do we set the poor against the poor as if they're in some survival race and have to fight it out for some crumbs from our table.

"Absolutely we must look after our own. But setting them up as if we have to choose between them and those overseas when we can do both is just really dispiriting."

The local benefits of foreign aid

Grazier from Richmond in north-west Queensland Ardie Lord escaped what he said was "the worst of the flooding disaster, losing between 100 and 200 head of cattle".

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In between treating and feeding cattle still trapped on banks in floodwaters, Mr Lord called for more long-term funding to support western Queensland.

"There is going to need to be some serious assistance in this area and into some other areas after natural disasters this year," Mr Lord said.

"This one has rocked some pretty staunch people in this area due to the size and scale of it, and people will need assistance to get back on their feet.

"There's no way in the world they can recover with the financial losses they've copped this time."

Richmond grazier Ardie Lord says foreign aid is important, but more needs to be spent "west of the Divide". ( ABC Rural: Melanie Groves )

Despite the necessity for immediate relief and further funding, Mr Lord acknowledged the benefits of foreign aid and upholding positive relations with neighbouring countries.

"The main thing is we have a relationship with over 50 countries where we market animals and meat to and some of that aid is critical to maintaining those relationships," he said.

Mr Lord argued the department from which the funding was diverted is irrelevant, but that recent floods highlighted the need for more investment in western Queensland.

"It's [been] a long time since serious money has been spent west of the Divide, there's a massive need for infrastructure in terms of roads and water infrastructure, it's a very untapped potential out here," Mr Lord said.

Federal Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud also urged caution at overlooking the connection between foreign aid and farmers' profits.

"Cutting foreign aid would hurt our farmers because other countries would take less of our farm exports," Mr Littleproud said in a statement.

"Australian farmers would go broke without trade — we are a nation of 25 million people growing enough food for 75 million people.

"We also get much more out of foreign aid than we put in. We give $300 million in aid to Indonesia and we make $3 billion from them buying our farm produce."

Aid 'the best expression of who we are', says Costello

A commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of Australia's gross national income (GNI) on aid every year was established in 1970 by the United Nations, but Australia has failed to meet that target, currently only spending 0.22 per cent.

Senator Hanson believed this was still too much.

"This is Australia's taxpayers' money, it's the foreign aid budget that needs to be redirected to help people in Australia," she said.

"We send foreign aid to help other countries, well it's about time, Australia needs the help, our people need that help now."

However, Mr Costello rejected Senator Hanson's position on foreign aid funding, pointing out that he had attended a tour of an Australian-funded eye hospital outside New Delhi in India last year.

"...She [Pauline Hanson] said, 'well actually it was really impressive, I really liked it, but then said, 'but the people who support me never like aid,'" Mr Costello recalls.

"She herself knows the aid actually gives hope and that Australian aid is the best expression of who we are.

"It's just really easy to kick those who are poor and don't vote because they're not in Australia, cutting more programs."

Lowy Institute polling represents what percent of the federal budget Australians think is spent on foreign aid. ( Supplied: Lowy Institute Polling )

The 2018/19 federal budget earmarked $4.2 billion to development, the equivalent to 0.8 per cent of the budget, which includes funding for humanitarian assistance, security and health initiatives, and aid for trade.

In comparison, $75 billion is invested of the 2018/19 budget to upgrade transport infrastructure.

Minister Littleproud argued not only would money cut from the aid budget not mean more aid for farmers due to the separate portfolios, but that funding was being provided to producers to assist through natural disasters.

"The Coalition Government has already invested nearly $6 billion in new drought assistance and it's set to grow to $7 billion," he said.

"We can do both, [invest in foreign aid] and look after our own farmers."