DROUGHT —
NATIONAL ON-FARM EMERGENCY WATER INFRASTRUCTURE SCHEME
82. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the minister representing the
Minister for Water:
I refer to the ongoing funding
support being provided by the federal government to support WA communities in
drought and the absence of comparable state government funding.
(1) When was federal funding for the national on-farm
emergency water infrastructure scheme first distributed to the
Department of Water and Environmental Regulation?
(2) How many applications for this
program have been received by DWER?
(3) How many applications for this
program have been processed by DWER?
(4) Did the state
government have to return $1.35 million in funding from the scheme to the
commonwealth and for what reason?
Hon
DARREN WEST replied:
I
thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. On behalf of the Minister
for Regional Development representing the Minister for Water, I provide
the following answer.
The McGowan government is committed
to supporting communities and has invested approximately $12 million in grants
to farmers and local governments, water carting and new or upgrading strategic
water infrastructure in regions impacted by dry seasonal conditions.
(1) The
commonwealth is yet to provide reimbursement for any rebates approved and paid
by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation.
(2) There were 525 applications
received as at 18 February 2020.
(3) There were 325 applications
processed and rebates paid as of 12 February 2020.
(4) No scheme
funding has been returned to the commonwealth. The commonwealth recently
proposed to reduce scheme funding made available to Western Australia. However,
the state rejected this proposal and requested an increase in total scheme
funding based on farmer demand. The state and commonwealth have now agreed to a
revised funding agreement that will see scheme funding to Western Australia
increased by $1 million.