Rain must not drown out drought assistance

Source: Sykes Media Release

Recent rainfalls throughout North East Victoria is welcome news for the agriculture sector, but much more rain is desperately needed to end the state’s decade-long drought.

Nationals Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes said this week, “The physical drought may well be breaking, which is good news for our farmers, but the recovery period does not stop just because it rains for three days.”

Rainfall figures for January 1 to June 29, 2009 show rainfall across the board was below average with local figures showing Benalla was 134 mm below average, Mount Hotham 315 mm below average and Wangaratta 127 below average.

The Nationals MPs across the State have voiced their outrage that from 1 July 2009 there would no longer be funding for 10 of the 13 drought support programs in Victoria.

“I and my National Party colleagues have repeatedly pushed the Labor Government to put some certainty around these programs, and each year for the past couple of years, Premier Brumby has left farmers in the dark.

“Despite calling on the government time after time to stop playing financial games with people who really need on-going help they continue to stick their head in the sand and adopt a ‘wait and see’ approach,” Dr Sykes said.

The funding cut-off will affect vital support programs such as the Drought Health Services and Community Support, the Municipal Rates Subsidy, the Drought Employment Program, the Drought Apprenticeship Retention Bonus and the Drought Extension Support.

Outreach worker, Ivan Lister, said; “This kind of rain is ideal for crops and while it puts growth on grass it does not instantly put dollars in pockets. It will take years for farms to become viable again.

“That’s where my role, and the role of drought counsellors, is so important in supporting people through the long term stress after years of drought. Not much changes at that level because it rains,” he said.

“You have to be realistic about this and the future still looks grim. Farmers have to recover from high debt levels, they have to find the money to restock and farmers are an aging sector with fewer young people joining the industry. The damage done by the prolonged drought will take a long time to repair.

“That said I encourage farmers to continue to watch out for each other, to support each other and seek out support when needed,” Ivan Lister said.

Dr Sykes said the government must continue drought co-ordinators and counsellors for at least another 18 months and undertake to review the entire sector of drought assistance projects.

Media contact: Bill Sykes (03) 5762 2100 or 0427 624 989 www.billsykes.com.au


Bill Sykes MP, State Member for Benalla
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture & Water
Ph: 03 5762 2100 Fx: 03 5762 4478 Mobile: 0427 624 989
Email: bill.sykes@parliament.vic.gov.au