ADDITIONAL $500 MILLION DROUGHT ASSISTANCE PACKAGE BRINGS TOTAL SUPPORT TO $1 BILLION
Monday, July 30 2018
Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke today welcomed the announcement of a further $500 million of support for farmers through the NSW Government’s Emergency Drought Relief Package.
This latest boost means the NSW Government has committed more than $1 billion to support farmers through the developing drought.
“As this drought has slowly increased its grip on the Cootamundra electorate, so too has the NSW Government’s commitment to farmers,” Ms Cooke said.
“This package is proof that the NSW Government has been listening and that it has been working hard to ensure farmers get the support they need during this really challenging period.
“The $190 million Drought Transport Subsidies will cover up to 50 per cent of the full cost of transporting fodder, water for stock and livestock to pasture, slaughter or sale, and this relief measure will be backdated so that farmers can access subsidies for costs incurred since January 1 this year,” she added.
Ms Cooke also highlighted the waiving of many of the fees which primary producers face.
“It’s really good to see waivers on Local Land Services annual rates, fixed charges on water licences, registration costs for class one agricultural vehicles, and interest on existing Farm Innovation Fund loans,” Ms Cooke said.
“Farmers are smart business owners who don’t necessarily want to be seen as charity cases,” she said.
“All they ask for is some help in executing their business plans, and this is what the NSW Government is delivering.
“We want to be at their sides as they work through this drought and that is why we have delivered a considered and responsible package of measures,” she added.
“As I have always stated, I am always here to listen to farmers. If this drought persists, and there is every indication that it will, then I want to make sure primary producers know they can contact me.”
Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW John Barilaro said this drought has quickly worsened across the state because June and July were drier than expected, and farmers have been forced to source fodder from interstate as local supply has deteriorated.
“We said we would constantly reassess the conditions and relief measures, and the fact we’ve now increased our drought-relief package to over $1 billion is a reflection of how serious this drought is, and how much we value the health and wellbeing of our farming and regional communities,” Mr Barilaro said.
“Importantly, we have backdated this relief measure to the start of the year when the drought intensified, especially in the Upper Hunter and Western NSW. This means eligible farmers who made the decision to destock earlier this year will still benefit from this new relief package.”
The three major elements of the $500 million Emergency Drought Relief Package are:
Approximately $190 million for Drought Transport Subsidies
Approximately $100 million for cutting the cost of farming fees and charges – by waiving Local Land Services rates, waiving fixed water charges in rural and regional areas, and waiving class one agricultural vehicle registration costs, among other initiatives, and
$150 million to bolster the Farm Innovation Fund (FIF) infrastructure program;
The package also includes funding for:
Counselling and mental health;
Critical services in regional communities including transporting water and drought related road upgrades and repairs;
Animal welfare and stock disposal.
The NSW Rural Assistance Authority will begin processing applications from Monday August 6. For more information on the NSW Government’s emergency drought relief package visit www.droughthub.nsw.gov.au
