“TRADITIONALLY, and certainly since I’ve become an MP, with the bad period we had for over 12 months last year we were sort of managing it as we went,” Member for Northern Tablelands, Adam Marshall, spoke candidly about the NSW government’s drought assistance plans for farmers, prior to Tuesday’s announcement of its $300 million drought package.
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“We got an initial drought package and we fought hard and got a second drought package, which is currently there, but this is about looking forward for the next five years and putting some big dollars in place and some big strategies to, not only help farmers manage drought when it occurs, but making them more resilient,” Mr Marshall said.
The drought package was unveiled in Tamworth by Premier, Mike Baird, Deputy Premier, Troy Grant and Minister for Primary Industries, Katrina Hodgkinson,
“This builds on more than $60 million in direct financial assistance to farmers provided by the NSW Government in the last 18 months,” Mr Baird said.
Mr Grant said the package would deliver a more transparent and targeted system of drought support, including $250 million in low interest loans over five years to continue the popular Farm Innovation Fund.
Ms Hodgkinson said the package included $45 million over five years in scholarships for farmers to undertake vocational training and farm business planning.
Also provided is $5 million over five years for transport assistance for animal welfare and donated fodder, $2.5 million for work on enhanced weather station networks with the Bureau of Meteorology, development of a commercial multi-peril insurance product for the cropping sector and ongoing investment in research and development.
Labor candidate for Northern Tablelands Debra O’Brien agreed with Shadow Minister for Primary Industries Steve Whan’s description of it as a “hastily cobbled together” package.
Mr Whan said the government had let farmers down by abolishing drought support measures and had made massive cuts to the Department of Primary Industries.
“For the government to have spent four years undercutting farmers, and then with an election looming, announce a package of drought assistance is an appalling act of bastardry,” Mr Whan said. “While multi-peril crop insurance and helping the Bureau of Meteorology to overcome some of Tony Abbott’s budget cuts may provide some assistance to farmers, these elements are such a small part of Mike Baird’s drought package that they will barely scratch the surface.”
