Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke is demanding that the State Government take immediate action to support drought-affected farmers. Photo: Steph Cooke.
With almost 85 per cent of the Riverina now affected by drought, Cootamundra MP Steph Cooke is demanding that the State Government take immediate action to support drought-affected farmers in the region.
While there are low-interest loans available, Ms Cooke says these measures fall short for drought-affected farmers, who have been vocal about the need for debt relief, freight and fodder subsidies and targeted tax incentives.
“Farmers who’ve been in drought for over a year don’t need lessons on how to prepare for one, and importantly, many cannot afford to take on more debt,” Ms Cooke said.
“Our communities are clear and united about the initiatives it will take to support those who have done it tough for well over a year now.
“Many cannot afford to wait much longer for the government to grasp the seriousness of the conditions we’re experiencing in the south.”
Veteran irrigator and Yanco Creek and Tributaries Advisory (YACTAC) Council President Trevor Clark said the future of farming was at stake, as it was now more profitable to trade water than actually use it to grow crops.
“People are struggling big time … and we don’t seem to be getting a lot back for our produce,” he said.
“Irrigation farmers [have] low water allocations this year, so that’s gonna have an enormous effect on how we finish up the farm.”
Farmers across the state are battling record-high freight costs, water and fodder shortages and widespread pasture loss.
Mr Clark said irrigation farmers were finding it “very difficult” to survive because of the price of water, which would heavily impact dairy farmers on top of summer crops such as rice, corn or cotton.
Dairy farmers in the region are already feeling the impacts of it.
“Irrigation farmers rely on summer crops, and we’re not planting any summer crops this year because there is very little water available,” he said.
“So the bit of water we had were used on the winter crops, so there won’t be any summer crops.”
In August, councillors and council staff from around the region held the Southern NSW Drought Summit, which was attended by state and federal representatives including the NSW Agriculture Minister.
Ms Cooke, who attended the summit, has condemned the government’s failure to adopt any of the recommendations put forward by farmers and community leaders since that time.
She has written to the Premier, urging him to meet with local representatives to discuss the government’s drought strategy as summer looms.
“The Drought Summit provided the NSW Government a practical roadmap to support farmers as conditions continue to deteriorate, and yet not even the very reasonable request for a producer-informed taskforce has been actioned,” she said.
“I’m respectfully urging the Premier to meet with the mayors of the Southern NSW Drought Summit, and provide our communities with some much-needed certainty that they will be supported as the hotter months set in.”
