Reduced water allocations are placing great strain on many farmers and their communities. The Australian Government has put in place a range of new measures to support farmers and communities through this time.
Today I have joined the Premiers of New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria, and the Chief Minister of the ACT, in releasing the third Murray-Darling Basin contingency plan report. It highlights the ongoing serious shortages of water for irrigators in the southern basin.
A dedicated Murray Darling Basin Assistance and Referral Line has been established on 1800 050 015 to provide information about government services and assistance. The hotline is supported by additional specialist Rural Service Officers, Rural Financial Counsellors and social workers to assist in managing the impact of the water crisis. This complements the increased funding of $30.7 million for mental health services for drought-affected communities, including the Mental Health Support for Drought affected Communities initiative.
The Country Women's Association (CWA) plays a valuable role in supporting drought-affected families across Australia. The government is providing an additional $8 million to the CWA to enable it to continue to distribute emergency grants to families for household essentials and to fund community activities and events to help boost the morale of drought affected communities. The grants will be available from 1 July 2007.
The Drought Bus is a vital outreach service, taking information and advice about drought assistance and other support services to communities that may not have ready access to a Centrelink office. Since the launch of the original Drought Bus in November, rural communities have warmly embraced the concept. The specialist rural staff on the Drought Buses have spoken with more than 7,000 people in over 200 drought affected towns. Two Drought Buses will service communities in the southern Murray Darling Basin over the next two months.
More than $1.6 billion has been provided in Exceptional Circumstances drought assistance since 2001. Funds allocated over the next two years bring the total Australian Government commitment to drought assistance to over $2.5 billion, including an additional $314 million announced in the Budget. Over 22,000 farmers are currently receiving Exceptional Circumstances Relief Payments, with nearly 20 per cent of these receiving assistance for more than two years during this prolonged drought. In addition, the government is providing Exceptional Circumstances assistance to almost 1400 agriculturally dependent small businesses.
Given the length of the drought, the government recognises that some farming families are looking at alternative options. For those eligible farmers that wish to re establish outside farming, the maximum FarmHelp re establishment grant has been increased from $50,000 to $75,000.
The recovery will take some time. I am committed to working with premiers and chief ministers to support the ongoing relief and recovery effort.
For further information on Australian Government drought assistance measures, please call the Murray Darling Basin Assistance and Referral Line on 1800 050 015 to check eligibility for drought assistance or visit the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry website at www.daff.gov.au . A summary of Australian Government drought assistance measures is attached.
Australian Government Drought Assistance - Summary - RTF 19KB | PDF 22KB