DROUGHT HELP SOUGHT FROM PREMIER, MINISTER
A suite of requests to help communities battling severe drought conditions in the Snowy Valleys and Greater Hume council areas has been presented to Premier Chris Minns at a meeting in Sydney.
The Independent Member for Wagga Wagga, Dr Joe McGirr, and the mayors of both councils met with Mr Minns and Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty to discuss the urgent need for measures to support farmers as the drought outlook worsens.
The requests included:
Freight subsidies for stock and fodder
Assistance with rates
Support for small businesses
Increased funding for financial counselling, and
Water and roads infrastructure support
Dr McGirr said the Premier and Minister acknowledged the seriousness of the situation, which was described by the councils as a growing economic and social shock across both local government areas.
“I welcomed the government’s recent announcement of cheaper interest loans to farmers under the Drought Ready and Resilient Fund and am hopeful that the government will announce further financial support in the near future,” Dr McGirr said.
“It was an important opportunity to stress to the Premier and Minister of the critical need for support measures to not only help communities through this immediate crisis but also to deliver drought-related infrastructure that will make a difference in the longer term.”
Snowy Valleys Shire Mayor Julia Ham thanked the Premier and Minister for listening to their concerns.
“The government’s creation of a drought co-ordinator position and the low-interest rate loans recently announced are very welcome steps but much more needs to be done to get our farmers and communities through this very challenging time,” she said.
“We greatly appreciated the opportunity to explain to the Premier and Minister why help is urgently needed immediately and we are hopeful that further assistance measures will soon be announced.”
Greater Hume Mayor Lea Parker welcomed the Government’s loans announcement as a positive step toward easing the pressure on our producers and small businesses.
“The reduction in loan interest rates and the appointment of a drought coordinator will help ensure support reaches those who need it most,” she said.
“We’ll continue advocating for further measures, including a Federal rate reduction, to strengthen resilience across our region.”
Dr McGirr said he looked forward to working further with the government to secure further support, amid growing concerns about seasonal conditions heading into summer.
“Conditions will become dire if the drought does not break soon, so it’s vital that more help is delivered immediately.
“I thank the Premier and Minister Moriarty for listening to our concerns and will welcome any further assistance that they can provide.”