Drought Assistance

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (14:32): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Primary Industries on the topic of drought.

Leave granted.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Over the last six months, the opposition has continued visiting drought-stricken areas, talking with farmers and listening to the measures that they are calling for to help them get through this once-in-a-generation drought. A group of farmers came to parliament two weeks ago to get their message across to the Premier in person about just how severe this drought is. They have told us that there is an economic cost and a human cost to this drought, that they need real measures that will make a real difference, and that they need them now—in fact, they needed them yesterday.

They have told us loud and clear that the $8.1 million of new funding that is spruiked as the $18 million package is a pittance and far from adequate. They are asking why questions about assistance go unanswered for so long when these people have their backs against the wall. They have asked how the Premier can find time to go to sporting events and travel to Whyalla, but can't find time to travel to drought-affected areas and talk to farmers doing it tough. Now they are asking why the Premier is making farmers cough up time and money and travel to the city to meet with him when it seemed easy for him to travel in person to Whyalla to show support. My questions to the minister are:

1. When will the Malinauskas government announce further drought assistance for our hardworking farmers to help keep their breeding stock alive?

2. What new assistance is the Malinauskas government going to provide to help farming communities get through this drought?

3. When will this assistance reach the farms where it is so desperately needed?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:33): I thank the honourable member for her questions. The state government, as members would recall, has an $18 million drought package which remains open for applications, and the government is actively working through additional support measures. We have been meeting with farmers across the state to hear directly from primary producers as they experience some of the driest conditions on record. A round table is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon with industry and a range of farmers from across the state, to hear from them and receive input regarding the impacts of the drought and further advice on further proposed support measures.

Through establishing the Drought Advisory Committee and running eight drought round tables in locations including the South-East, the Mid North, Murraylands, Eyre Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, Barossa Valley and the Fleurieu Peninsula, we were able to design a targeted $18 million drought support package, announced at the end of last year. We look forward to further discussions with primary producers in the coming days as we actively work through additional assistance.

In addition, the commonwealth has extensive supports in place for farmers facing hardship, including the Farm Household Allowance, farm management deposits, taxation measures and low interest loans. Information and assistance in applying for these and other community-based support programs are available via free mentoring and financial counselling programs, jointly funded between the South Australian and federal governments.

As part of our $18 million support package, the state government allocated $2 million to assist charities with the freight costs of transporting fodder to assist farmers with feeding livestock. This has seen hundreds of truckloads of hay reach primary producers across the state, providing some immediate relief as we navigate these challenging times. There are still three charities operating hay runs over the coming weeks with state government funding support.

Applications for our current drought support package remain open, including for the On-farm Drought Infrastructure Rebate, and we encourage all primary producers to make contact to learn more about the assistance that is available.

I note that the honourable member refers to the difference between new and existing funding, which I think demonstrates that there has been funding from this government throughout our three years in office so far for drought preparation. Preparedness for drought obviously has been significantly important as we come into these very difficult conditions. In addition, as I have mentioned, we are working through additional support measures. We continue to listen directly to primary producers, as well as to peak bodies, as they provide input into what further assistance will be most beneficial for them.