ON-FARM EMERGENCY WATER
INFRASTRUCTURE REBATE SCHEME
1153. Hon
COLIN de GRUSSA to the minister representing the Minister for Water:
I refer to an article in the Countryman
of 15 October regarding the federal government's on-farm emergency water
infrastructure rebate scheme that stated —
Mr Kelly said the State's
budget included $6.7 million to help farmers suffering water deficiency, which
would be used to match the federal funding.
(1) Please
identify the line item in the budget that pertains to the $6.7 million figure
the minister mentioned.
(2) Why is the
ABC news today reporting that the government has still not committed to
matching the federal government funding?
(3) When will the
state government reopen the scheme for WA farmers and begin processing
previously received applications to give support to farmers ahead of summer?
Hon
ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:
I thank the member for the
question. The following information has been provided to me by the Minister for
Water.
(1) It is in division 42, Department of Water and
Environmental Regulation, page 649, under ''Spending Changes'',
''New Initiatives'', rural water deficiency and community water
supply, for $3.850 million to provide for carting
non-potable stock water and provision of new and upgraded community water
supplies for farmers. Additional money is within the Water Corporation
budget, which is not referred to in the budget papers.
(2) This
question is best referred to the ABC.
(3) The state
government did not close the scheme in Western Australia. We have continued to
receive and process applications pending further funding from the commonwealth.