Gone are the days where in drought conditions the government would provide help to farmers by covering some of the transport costs of feed and water.
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Now the best the state and federal Governments can offer are low interest loans.
But to get access to the loan, farmers have to be able to demonstrate their business is being negatively impacted by drought conditions which is assessed by the NSW Rural Assistance Authority (RAA), taking into account financial information and the Combined Drought Indicator map (which can be found on the NSW DPI website); and that the business is in financial need by either being in receipt of a Farm Household Allowance (a federal scheme) or being an eligible client of the Rural Financial Counselling service.
The NSW government is offering low-interest loans of up to $20,000 to cover 100 per cent of costs (GST exclusive) to transport stock, fodder, or water to or from drought affected properties. The first two years of a seven year loan are interest and repayment free.
There are a couple of other loan schemes to help ‘drought proof’ farms – like the Farm Innovation Fund that provides low-interest loans for capital works to a value of $250,000.
The only help that doesn’t have to be paid back is the Animal Welfare Transport Subsidy – for those at the end of the road who can’t hold on to stock any longer. The state government will pay 50 per cent of “eligible costs” for the permanent transport of stock off farm where livestock are at fat score 2 or below (dairy cattle 3 or below), to a maximum of $20,000 per financial year. Most of the region hasn’t been classified as drought affected – with the NSW Department of Primary Industries Combined Drought Indicator map showing that only 5.7 per cent of the North West region is in drought, 24 per cent drought onset, 69.6 per cent “watch”, 0.4 per cent recovering and 0.3 per cent non drought. Just 1.1pc of the Tablelands is in drought according to the map.