Drought Assistance

The Hon. J.E. HANSON (15:03): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Will the minister speak to the chamber about her visit to Black Rock and Laura yesterday to speak to farmers about the impact of drought in their regional communities?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:04): I thank the honourable member for his question. As I mention regularly in this chamber, agriculture is vital to our state's economy, and our farmers and regional communities are currently in need of support due to the drought gripping most of the state.

Primary producers in South Australia are facing extreme challenges, with one of the worst production seasons in many years, as drought conditions combine with other compounding issues, such as frost, biosecurity outbreaks, and market fluctuations. That is why the state government announced its over $73 million package in drought support in April this year, with wideranging support measures to address various areas in need, which built on the package announced in November 2024.

As I have also mentioned many times in this chamber, this government's drought support is based on advice from well-respected industry groups as well as farmers on the ground, who I have been meeting with for many, many months since the middle of last year. Yesterday, I went to Black Rock and then to Laura. I am very grateful to the farmers who generously took time out of their busy schedules yesterday to meet with me.

At Black Rock Ag I met with Jim, Gaye, Tom and Sam who, despite their own struggles at the moment with the impacts of drought, invited me into their home and talked with me over lunch prepared by Gaye. The generosity of this family speaks to the spirit of the farming communities. From Black Rock I headed to Laura and met with Andrew and Graham. I had open discussions with all the farmers that I met with yesterday about the drought, about the government support and the impact on farmers and the communities. Andrew at Laura Hills Farm was also a recipient of some donated fodder in the recent Rapid Relief Team charity hay run in Jamestown, which was supported by the state government through the transport subsidy as part of the $73 million drought support package.

Following the meeting at Laura, I headed to Watervale for the Clare Valley Wine inaugural members and sponsors mixer event. At this event, it was good to connect and have more conversations about drought and its impact, this time on the wine industry. There were also a number of farmers, people within other agricultural sectors present as well.

Across these conversations throughout the day and evening, it was good to hear about different people in different industries utilising the state government's support package in various different ways, including through use of the On-farm Drought Infrastructure Rebate Scheme, which has received over 2,600 applications now. It was also fantastic to hear, earlier in the week, from Myponga farmer Ash Pacitti that his application for the rebate, which he was using for a new hay shed, was a quick and straightforward process, approved within 17 days.

This government's drought support is flexible and responsive to feedback. As the drought continues, I will continue to meet directly with farmers as well as with industry bodies and engage with them to receive advice so that the support package is tailored appropriately.