Drought Assistance

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

Leave granted.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: The Stock Journal recently reported on the government's ongoing lack of transparency in relation to the expenditure of the drought relief package, an issue that the opposition has also consistently raised. The article stated:

The Stock Journal has asked Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven on multiple occasions over several weeks to provide a breakdown of the funds spent so far in each of the programs. The details have not been forthcoming.

My questions to the minister are:

1. Why has the minister not provided a clear breakdown of expenditure within her own portfolio when repeatedly requested?

2. Is the minister withholding this information from farming communities across the state and, if so, why?

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 question. The uptake of the drought support package has been huge. We have been really, really pleased. In terms of the On-farm Drought Infrastructure Rebate, the last figures we released I think referred to, from memory, over 2,600 successful applications for on-farm drought infrastructure.

In terms of the Connecting Communities Events, there have also been, as of 7 August, 135 events approved and 90 already held across the state. What we have had in terms of the hay runs, which have been very significant, has been a large number both of farmers assisted and also areas assisted. That has been in terms of a number of the smaller charities who have done small hay runs—they perhaps have gone a little bit under the radar—in addition, for example, to the Need For Feed hay run that came from Western Australia and was a significant benefit.

The Active Club Program has had, according to my information here, 630 regional sport and recreation clubs supported. There have also been many assisted by the rural financial counselling support program, the small business support program and rebates on the emergency services levy. Members might recall there are, I think from memory, over 20 streams of the drought support package, and so I am very glad that we have had very positive feedback. I have certainly been at a number of events where farmers have said that they have been successful in the on-farm infrastructure drought rebates and how much it has meant in terms of their ability to deal with the current drought.