Trust the science.
No rain ’til April, BoM tells ministersDams are dry and feed is difficult to source for stock as the Gladstone region is crippled by drought.
There will be no relief for drought-ravaged regions over the summer, with Bureau of Meteorology officials telling a meeting of state and federal ministers there would be no significant rain until at least April.
The ministers gathered in Moree, in NSW’s northwest, to discuss the best strategies to combat the enduring drought.
Federal Drought and Water Resources Minister David Littleproud vowed to work with drought co-ordinator-general Shane Stone by February to cut bureaucratic red tape so desperate farmers did not have to make separate state and federal applications for assistance.
Mr Littleproud said he was hopeful states would do more to assist farmers after South Australia announced on Tuesday that it would give rebates on council rates and pastoral leases for drought-affected farmers.
“NSW, Queensland and Victoria are looking very lean for rain and below-average rainfall through summer and heading into next winter,” NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall said of the BoM briefing. “The outlook is nothing for NSW anywhere near drought-breaking until April-May next year.”
Mr Littleproud pledged to work with the states on ensuring there was not duplication between state and federal drought assistance co-funding programs and ensuring information contained in a state application could be used in federal applications without farmers needing to apply again.
Edward Cox, 5, seen in a dust storm. His father Brad Cox is the fourth generation farmer on his family's property near Collie, north of Dubbo. Currently in the midst of the worst drought their worst drought on record, they farm sheep, cattle and grain. Picture: Dylan Robinson
Coming into the meeting, Mr Littleproud had effectively named and shamed states he thought needed to do more on drought assistance, one of which was South Australia.
On Tuesday, SA Premier Steven Marshall announced a $21m package, including a 50 per cent rebate for council rates or pastoral lease rent in 2019-20 and 2020-21 for farmers on the farm household allowance.
“We now have South Australia on the hook,” Mr Littleproud said. “I know other states will look closely at that.
“We have also agreed to make sure we work together to streamline process and … if there’s duplication, that can be taken away. We have said by February we have charged Shane Stone with getting an approach with the states.”
Mr Littleproud scuppered a plan by Mr Marshall for an income protection insurance scheme to be facilitated by the commonwealth, sources at Moree told The Australian.
Mr Littleproud is said to have told state ministers he was not about “bankrolling multinational corporations”.
An aerial image of sheep as they follow a ute delivering cotton seed on a drought affected property near Bollon in southwest Queensland.
Mr Marshall, who organised the meeting of state and federal drought ministers, called for “commonwealth, state and territory governments to come to the table and back a national income protection scheme to insure farmers against drought”.
In July, the NSW government announced it was committing $2m to partner with the National Farmers Federation to explore insurance models and called on other governments to sign up.
Mr Marshall said he hoped the federal government could be talked around on the insurance scheme. He said of the current system where farmers were having to put in separate state and federal claims for assistance: “If it pisses me off, how do you think it is for farmers busting their arse feeding cattle.”
