The state government has announced the Emergency Drought Relief Program which provides another $500 million for farmers battling dry conditions.
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Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke said the package brought total support for farmers to $1 billion.
“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,” Ms Cooke said.
“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 said.
As well as the subsidies, several Local Land Services fees will be waived worth $100 million.
“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.
The state’s Deputy Premier John Barilaro said the drought had worsened quickly during the last two months, with some farmers forced to source fodder from interstate.
“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 well-being 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 de-stock earlier this year will still benefit from this new relief package.”
NSW Farmers president James Jackson welcomed the expanded subsidies for drought transport and said when farmers’ cash flow was tight, it was small costs like fees which added up.
“The decision to provide back payments to 1 January recognises that planning for drought happens before the country is dry,” Mr Jackson said.
“It's not only the big costs that affect farm business cash flow. It is the small, ongoing commitments that add up.
“The commitment to provide relief through deferring LLS rate payments, water licenses and agricultural vehicle registration will benefit local communities and contractors, not only farmers.”
While only recently calling for subsidies to help farmers with feeding stock and transporting them, Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party Candidate Matthew Stadtmiller was worried the help would be “too little, too late”.
Mr Stadtmiller criticised the timing of the government’s announcement which came after Shooters Party MLC Robert Brown comments criticising NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian for not announcing help at the NSW Farmers Association conference.
“I fear that an extra $500 million is not going to be enough for the farmers who have been ignored for the last year,” he said.
“My concern is that this will be too little too late for many families who have been struggling across New South Wales.”
