I am pleased to announce that more Western Australian producers and small businesses will be able to apply for drought assistance following amendments to boundaries for the Southern Rangelands Exceptional Circumstances area.
Drought assistance will now be available until 31 March 2008 to farmers and agriculturally-dependent small businesses in:
* parts of the Shires of Murchison, Yalgoo, Sandstone, Leonora, Menzies, Kalgoorlie/Boulder and Dundas;
* the pastoral areas of the Shires of Esperance, Ravensthorpe, Kondinin, Mt Marshall, Dalwallinu, Perenjori, Mullewa, Chapman Valley and Northampton; and
* the whole of the Shires of Coolgardie and Shark Bay.
A buffer zone extending east and north of the existing southern region is included within these areas (see the map at www.daff.gov.au/droughtassist for further details).
This announcement builds on the Australian Government's unprecedented response to this drought - a commitment of $2.3 billion in assistance. Since 16 October 2006, the Government has announced measures totalling $1.1 billion, including:
* extending income support and interest rate subsidies to eligible producers in EC declared regions across Australia until 2008;
* EC assistance to eligible small business operators dependent on farm businesses in EC declared areas;
* establishing Family Relationship Centres and providing extra financial and personal counselling to rural communities;
* emergency individual and community grants to be provided through the Country Women's Association;
* increasing the deposit cap for the Farm Management Deposits scheme from $300,000 to $400,000, and the non-primary production income test from $50,000 to $65,000;
* professional business and financial planning grants of up to $5,500 for eligible farmers in areas that have been EC declared for more than three years; and
* making changes to Drought Force and Job Network to help farming communities meet their workforce needs and to encourage skilled labour to remain in the region.
For further information on Australian Government drought assistance measures, please visit the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry website at www.daff.gov.au.