NEW SOUTH WALES DROUGHT ASSISTANCE TO
PRIMARY PRODUCERS
The Commonwealth Government has decided to provide further
drought assistance to New South Wales.
he frollowing extensions to the Natural Disaster Assistance
Arrangements have been agreed:
road transport concessions for the carriage
of both fodder and stock over distances exceeding
km be determined at 50 per cent of approved
standard rates for total distance travelled
or 50 per cent of the actual cost, whichever is
the lesser;
1" carry-on" loans limit be increased from $ 5,000 . to
$ 10,000, and
the payment to primary producers for the slaughter
of helpless and unsaleable cattle be increased from
to $ 15 per head.
This assistance will be of great value to the hard-pressed
primary producers of New South Wales. The State, of course,
is responsible for the administrative arrangements for
distributing this assistance.
On April 14, I announced Commonwvealth intitiatives on taxation
concessions to assist primary producers to ensure water
supplies and to encourage them to increase their capacity
to withstand drought.
This taxation decision extends the concession beyond what was
available before the concession was: terminated by the Labor
Government in 1973. It does this in two ways. First, items
of plant in addition to structural improvements that were
not subject to the pre-1973 concession, will be subject to the
new one. Second, an investment allowance willbe available in
respect of plant and equipment, the cost of which is coMpletely
ded-Iuctible in the one income year. At no time since the
investment allowances were granted in 1962 for manufacturing
and mining, in 1963 for primary producers, in 1976 for plant
generally, and this year for energy conversion has an
investment allowance been available in these circumstances.
2
In relation to New South Wales the Commonwealth Government
has now agreed to the extension of the Natural Disaster
Assistance Arrangements to include the provision of
subsidies: to Councils and other organisations, as approved
by the State, able to provide emergency water
supplies based on existing facilities and on
reasonable additional special costs ( excluding
major capital items) incurred in providing
emergency supplies to primary producers;
to primary producers to assist them in meeting
special costs incurred in the transport of
emergency water supplies to their properties
on the following basis:
where water is carted in the primary
producers' own vehicles, 50 per cent of
assessed vehicle operating costs, as agreed
between the Commonwealth and the State,
for the journeys necessary; or
( ii) where it is established by the State that
a primary producer has no suitable vehicle
for water cartage, a subsidy would be paid
equivalent to 50 per cent of approved standard
freight charges for the journeys involved
if the cartage contractor is engaged.
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