Drought Response Taskforce outcomes welcomed

Eligible farmers will be from the rural councils of Ararat, Moyne, Colac Otway, Pyrenees, Corangamite, Southern Grampians, Glenelg, Golden Plains and West Wimmera, plus Surf Coast, Warrnambool and Greater Geelong councils.

This direct rate relief was proposed by Rural Councils Victoria, one of the stakeholder groups involved in the taskforce.

RCV chair and Campaspe Shire councillor Rob Amos was pleased to see its adoption.

“Council rate discounts will help farmers survive the drought,” Cr Amos said.

“This will mean more cash back into farm budgets, straight away.”

There are a range of other measures in the package, including:

• An increase of $2 million in funding for the Country Women’s Association for food and grocery support.

• Water infrastructure improvements include $15 million invested in the East Grampians Pipeline and $5.5 million in upgrades to standpipes, emergency and private bores.

• Water resilience is a priority, with $3.5 million allocated to progress the South West Sustainable Water Strategy.

• Community programs are another area of investment, including through the ‘Look over the Farm Gate’ mental health program, receiving an almost $6 million contribution overall.

• A $1 million contribution has been made to catchment management authorities for drought employment programs for farmworkers to access off-farm employment.

“It’s great the government has listened and acted, though there remains more to be done,” Cr Amos said.

“Farmers and rural communities across the state will need sustained support.”

Echoing these sentiments is the Regional Cities Victoria chair and City of Greater Shepparton Mayor Shane Sali.

The group was also involved in taskforce talks, advocating for the needs of primary producers in the regions.

“The state is relying on Victoria’s regions for food and fibre products to boost the state’s economy, that’s why direct relief to farmers continues to be our priority,” Cr Sali said.

“Our agriculture sector is the backbone of our economy.

“Right now, they need all the support they can get — even with recent rains, there is a long road to recovery ahead for Victoria’s primary producers and for the regional and rural economies that rely on them.”

Cr Sali raised his concerns over the Emergency Services Volunteer Fund, which, while paused for those impacted by droughts, will impact regional communities across the state.

The group has also written to the federal agriculture and water ministers, calling on expanded support for impacted Victorians, also requesting an indefinite pause on the government’s water buyback scheme while the state experiences drought.

“Water already taken out of our regions has had a noticeable effect on farms and regional towns; however, buybacks in dry years like this exacerbate existing water shortages further,” Cr Sali said.

State Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh, who was involved in the taskforce after an invitation by Premier Jacinta Allan, is concerned the 40 per cent rate cut is not enough, but is overall satisfied with its outcome.

“I would have thought the premier could have made sure farm rates were cut by 50 per cent — with the precedent being the millennium drought. Using rates is a proportionate response and a great way to relieve financial pressures, we just haven’t gone far enough,” he said.

“But the big winner here is the $15 million the government will put on the table as its share of completing the East Grampians pipeline — having the money locked in will hopefully force Canberra’s hand to come up with it share of the funding to get this valuable job done.”

Mr Walsh is hopeful that the Victorian Government will continue to prioritise the needs of drought-affected farmers, particularly in talks with the Federal Government.

He is interested in a reduction of Regional Investment Corporation interest rates for drought-affected farmers, with the current variable rates sitting at 5.18 per cent across its loan programs.

“As well as putting pressure on Canberra for its share of the East Grampians pipeline, the premier has told me she will also be pushing the Federal Government hard to lower interest rates on Regional Investment Corporation loans to affected farmers,” Mr Walsh said.

“Long-term the pipeline, the RIC loans and the Western Region Water Strategy will have significant benefits if they all get up, but as an immediate fix, I am disappointed the premier baulked at hitting that 50 per cent mark for rate relief.”

To learn more about the support available to drought-impacted farmers, head to agriculture.vic.gov.au/drought or call 136 186.