Drought Assistance

Mr TELFER (Flinders) (15:03): My question is to the Treasurer. How much and what further drought relief will be provided by the state government to farmers following the release of the federal budget? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr TELFER: Following the federal budget last week, the Treasurer said on FIVEaa radio that the state government will be announcing further drought relief for farmers before the state budget this year.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Treasurer, Minister for Defence and Space Industries, Minister for Police) (15:04): I thank the member for Flinders for his question because, along with other members, he has raised in this place the travails that his constituents are experiencing at the moment with the extraordinarily dry conditions that continue to confront major parts of our state. I, and of course the Premier, have made it clear in this place as well as publicly that back in November, yes, we announced a drought package to support primary producers in South Australia, and it has become clear in the early months of this year that these conditions have persisted.

In fact, as the Premer said in his earlier remarks today, we are becoming increasingly concerned that we may not see meaningful rainfall before that threshold date of ANZAC Day. The Premier has made it clear previously to this place, and I have reiterated both in here and publicly, that the government recognises there is a need to provide further support to our primary producers and that given, for example, that threshold date that the Premier mentioned earlier, it may not wait until I hand down the state budget on 5 June.

The Premier has made it clear that we are considering a package and we are of a mind to announce a package before we hand down the state budget. What that package looks like and how much funding is contributed by the state government to support primary producers in that package is being considered, and in no small part I think the Premier's intention, along with the Minister for Primary Industries, is to listen carefully to the contributions that have been made by members like the member for Flinders and also by industry representatives and farmers directly. The Premier has made it clear that he, along with the Minister for Primary Industries, will be engaging with primary producers directly tomorrow.

All of this helps us make sure that if we are providing further support, not only is it the right amount of support but the support is going to the things that will actually make a difference for those primary producers who are struggling. I think I also said in the interview on talkback radio that the member for Flinders referenced before that, not too dissimilar to what we did with the River Murray flood, we announced an initial package of support to try to make sure that those flood-affected communities along the River Murray had the support of the state government.

That was rolled out over a period of subsequent weeks and then, after the full impact of the flood became apparent, we took the opportunity to supplement that initial package of support for those communities along the River Murray. I guess in that respect, we are taking a similar approach here. We have made an initial contribution, we are understanding how long these conditions are persisting and the impacts they are having on primary producers and the communities that they are a part of, and we are taking the opportunity to consider how we can make an additional contribution to support those primary producers and those communities.