More farming families will now be eligible for drought assistance after the Federal Liberal-National Government announced an easing of the off-farm income and asset limits, all part of an additional drought assistance package worth $714 million, Senator Fiona Nash said.
Senator Nash said the ongoing drought is now reaching a critical phase with more and more farmers and their families struggling to persevere through what has become the worst drought in living memory.
“This Government has stood beside farmers to offer support since the drought began and will continue to support them through what is widely considered a natural disaster,” Senator Nash said.
“This additional funding of $714 million in drought assistance is on top of the $1.9 billion in assistance the Federal Government has provided to date, bringing the total amount now to more than $3.5 billion.”
Senator Nash said the Coalition’s ongoing support for rural and regional communities – which includes providing more than 23,000 families with income support and more than 1,500 small businesses with drought support – is in stark contrast to the Labor party who have no policies in place to sustain our farming communities now and during the long recovery process.
“Once again, Kevin Rudd rolled out the ‘me too’ line in response to the Government’s proactive and long-standing approach to drought support,” Senator Nash said.
“Labor has had years to put forward their policy for looking after drought ravaged communities, but there’s been nothing but a deathly silence. Rural communities have been suffering for years, and Labor has said nothing, which just shows how little they care about the 7 million people living outside the big cities. To say ‘me too’ now just isn’t good enough.”
The Federal Government’s announcement includes:
• An increase to the off-farm income exemption from $10,000 to $20,000; ($33 million)
• An increase to the off-farm assets limit, for access to Exceptional Circumstances Interest Rate Subsidy, from $473,000 to $750,000; ($143 million)
• Immediate access to the $5000 professional advice and planning grants for farmers in EC declared areas; ($26 million)
• Extending the eligibility of small business access to EC assistance, to include all small businesses in towns of up to 10,000 population that have a significant reliance on farmers for their income, and have suffered a downturn; ($142 million)
• Grants of up to $20,000 to irrigators in the Murray Darling Basin to implement water management strategies in response to significantly reduced allocations; ($66 million)
• An exit grant of up to $150,000 for farmers who have decided to leave the land, and an increase in the assets limit to access this grant, to $350,000; ($150 million)
• A further $10,000 is available for advice and retraining, and up to $10,000 for relocation expenses is also available to those who take up the exit grant; ($20 million)
• Information workshops to assist irrigators manage their farm businesses with reduced water allocations; ($7.5 million)
• Funding for up to an additional 13 Rural Financial Counsellors, an additional 10 Centrelink Rural Support Officers and five social workers; ($8 million)
• Additional social and emotional counselling through the establishment of 25 Family Support Drought Response teams; ($11 million)
• An increase of $1000 to the Assistance for Isolated Children Additional Boarding Allowance and an ongoing supplementary allowance of $1000 for all students who receive an AIC Distance Education Allowance; ($8 million)
• Up to an additional $10,000 a school in EC declared areas; ($46 million) and
• An additional $4.5 million for the Emergency Relief Program to fund community and charitable organisations to provide emergency assistance.
Farmers should not self-assess their eligibility for drought assistance. Centrelink’s National Drought Helpline can provide assistance to determine if farmers are eligible for assistance by phoning 13 23 16.
Producers seeking EC interest rate subsidy information should contact their State Rural Adjustment Authority.
Media contact: Julie Siegert 0429 818 600
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