DROUGHT — SOUTHERN RANGELANDS —
FARMERS ACROSS BORDERS
1553. Hon JIM CHOWN to the Minister for Agriculture and Food:
There is an opportunity for donated fodder to be transported
to regions of Western Australia such as the southern rangelands and other areas that have experienced protracted drought
conditions that are likely to continue into mid-2020.
(1) Is the
McGowan government prepared to adopt and implement a similar policy to the New
South Wales government, by which there was subsidised transportation of donated
fodder from community groups or other voluntary organisations?
(2) If not,
why not?
Hon ALANNAH MacTIERNAN
replied:
I thank the member for the question.
(1)–(2)
I recently met with Farmers Across Borders,
and I recognise that they are highly motivated to reach out and provide
some camaraderie and support to farmers who are going through dry conditions.
Senior personnel from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional
Development have contacted Farmers Across Borders to get some detail so we can
really better understand the merit of the proposal, acknowledging that there is
a social benefit, but looking at what the benefit will be in assisting to deal
with these issues. We understand that we are probably largely dealing with a very
low nutritional product, with a protein content of maybe around one per cent,
so the value it might present to the animals may be limited. We want to look at
the destinations that are being proposed and what the plan basically is. For
example, a load of this straw might be taken to a property and it might provide
some sustenance for a few days. The question is what assistance that provides
other than the acknowledged mental health benefit that it may have. We are just
trying to quantify that. We are also proposing to have some more discussions
with the affected groups to see whether some other proposals might provide a bit
more benefit. We acknowledge that Farmers Across Borders are well motivated,
but I think we have to do a little bit more work on the degree to which this
offers a practical solution.