Drought

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (15:40): I rise today to give voice to the thousands of South Australians who are being suffocated by drought. While this Labor government has been busy announcing packages and chasing headlines, on the ground nothing has changed. The drought continues, relentless and unforgiving, and the so-called relief remains tied up in bureaucracy, red tape and photo opportunities. This week, I received a letter addressed to the Premier. With the permission of the scribe, I want to read it out to the chamber because it speaks to the heart of what regional South Australians are experiencing:

Dear Peter, I'm not writing to ask for a handout. I'm writing to ask for something far more important—acknowledgement. We are in a drought. A real, painful, exhausting drought. And while the land is dry, it's the emotional toll that's breaking people.

This week, we lost a dear friend to suicide. He wasn't just a farmer, he was one of Australia's finest agronomists. He had off-farm income, yes, but that didn't shield him from the weight of farming life. It's a pressure that's invisible to most, but unbearable for many.

My husband and I have off-farm income too. But we are not hobby farmers. We run 2,000 sheep and 200 cattle. That income doesn't make things easier, it simply allows us to put food on the table, send our kids on school excursions, and give them the chance to represent their region at SAPSASA…

In my work as an accountant, I see the cost of this drought up close. My days are spent less on numbers and more on people. Clients walk through my door not to finalise their tax returns, but because they need a safe space to cry, to exhale, to be heard. And I sit with them, because if I don't, who will?

Now, we accountants are under immense pressure from the ATO to meet the 85% lodgement deadline to keep our tax agent registrations. But how can we possibly do that, when we are spending our hours helping others hold themselves together—emotionally, mentally, financially?

And still, South Australia hasn't been officially declared in drought. So we can't even request an extension…

And when the lodgement deadlines are missed, who pays the price?

This drought is touching every link in the rural chain. The accountants. The psychologists. The agronomists. The vets. The truck drivers. Everyone who holds up rural life.

And we are breaking.

We are now five days out from our 2024 ATO deadline. Our lodgements are at just 68%. We are staring down penalties, fines, and the heavy burden of knowing we simply cannot get through the work. 'Lack of staff' isn't an acceptable excuse. But tell me, am I supposed to miss my children's cross-country? Miss another fleeting moment of their childhood just to meet an arbitrary number?

We are doing our best.

I don't need to tell you how much rain we've had or haven't. You already have access to more data than I could ever get my hands on. But what the numbers don't show is the reality: we're spending $250 per paddock every other day just to keep our ewes going so they can lamb, and so we can survive. The fodder bill doesn't wait. Neither does the interest bill. And still, we show up.

I leave work emotionally exhausted. The car ride home is my only quiet moment. But as I pull into the driveway, the weight returns. I see the toll it's taking on my husband, his shoulders heavier, his smile more forced. This is a man who always looks for the silver lining, and even he is struggling to see one. Still, I walk through the door at 6:45pm, put a sub par dinner on the table, and smile when my kids ask, 'How was your day, Mum?' I say, 'Great,' because that's what parents do.

We would love to take up your On-Farm Drought Rebate, but right now, we are spending every spare cent keeping animals alive. That rainwater tank, that fencing, that fodder shed—they'll have to wait. Survival doesn't leave room for investment.

We are in a unique position—we are on both sides of the story. We are the farmers living the reality. And we are the support, holding space for others as they try to survive it too. We see the hardship from both sides. And I can tell you it's hurting, everywhere.

As I sit here watching the Showdown, Adelaide vs Port, I glance out the window and I'm reminded: South Australia is more than just sport. There are industries quietly struggling, industries that need to be seen too.

All I'm asking is this: please, acknowledge us. Acknowledge that we are in drought. That this crisis is not confined to paddocks, it reaches every corner of our rural communities. Please, see us.

If that does not drive home the reality of this drought, I do not know what will. The Labor Party must stop governing by headlines and start delivering real practical relief. These are not faceless statistics, they are our neighbours, our volunteers, our small business owners and our mates. Premier and minister, it is time to stop ignoring them. It is time to step up and it is time to act.