NSW Farmers’ Association Walcha president Sonia O’Keefe said the information would be extremely valuable for farmers, Local Land Services, agricultural service industries and recipients of government drought assistance money to enable them to make informed decisions.  

“It’s incomprehensible that there is information being comprehensively gathered from farmers, right across the state, and it is being kept a secret instead of being publicly released for everyone’s benefit,” she said.

“The seasonal condition maps are a really vital tool for anyone or any organisation assisting in drought management.

“The reports are being prepared for government so that they have a comprehensive understanding of the current and advancing climatic conditions.” 

NSW Farmers’ president Fiona Simson said maps indicating the areas of drought in NSW were needed for a number of reasons but in particular, they provide recognition to farmers that the government understands the challenging circumstances they are facing.

Ms Simson said the continuing drought conditions across more than 50 per cent of the state were increasing mental health concerns in the bush and it was vitally important service providers, which had been granted government funding to provide services to those in need, were able to allocate services accordingly.

“Without the information that used to be provided via two coloured maps on the Rural Assistance Authority website, these agencies with funding to spend and resources to allocate are having to make decisions on anecdotal evidence and hearsay,” she said.

“This is a frustrating situation for all involved, least of all, those who are in need of assistance.”

NSW Farmers is calling upon the NSW Government to uphold its duty of care and ensure the funding it has provided is being spent effectively and efficiently by ensuring information provided through the maps is available.