Drought Assistance

Mr McBRIDE (MacKillop) (14:53): My question is to the Treasurer representing the Minister for Primary Industries in this house. Will the government consider providing exceptional circumstance payments and/or interest rate subsidies to regional areas? With your leave, Mr Speaker, and the leave of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr McBRIDE: Primary producers are currently experiencing their second failed spring, with record low rainfalls and drought conditions. Farmers want to know what the government is doing to assist them.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Treasurer, Minister for Defence and Space Industries) (14:53): I thank the member for MacKillop for his question. Yesterday, when I was talking about the drought conditions and some of the other unseasonal conditions, I made reference to the frost impacts that the member for Chaffey previously raised with the house. Also, I am very grateful for the advice and the contact I have had from the member for Stuart about the conditions being experienced by his constituents because it's clear that these conditions are impacting regions across the breadth of South Australia.

While I have previously made reference to the immediate supports that the state government is making available to farmers, I can also advise that the commonwealth is providing support through its Farm Household Allowance, its Farm Management Deposits Scheme, its income tax averaging and other primary producer concessions.

But I should also point out that this is something that is being closely monitored and being worked on by the Minister for Primary Industries in the other place and her department, the Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia. They are taking into direct account those representations that have been made to them directly by farmers and also by their representatives, including members in this place, who are providing the benefit of their direct experience as to the conditions that are being felt out on the land.

We are acutely concerned that these particular conditions in some respects are exacerbated because they are coming off the absolute opposite conditions that we have had with a number of very productive seasons in recent years. That of course means that these very significantly changed conditions can be felt all the more acutely, and that that can be even more impactful for farmers, their families and affected communities.

I am not in a position on behalf of the minister to articulate what she and her department are doing, but I am happy to bring back information to the house—except to say that we are already starting to roll out those additional supports and we are continuing to speak with those members but also with farmers and the regional communities directly, including understanding what further the state government could be doing to assist our primary producers through these very difficult times.

Mr TELFER: I have a supplementary on that, sir.

The SPEAKER: We will see if it's a supplementary.