Question Without Notice No. 374 asked in the Legislative Council on 15 August 2017 by Hon Colin De Grussa
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
374. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the Minister for Agriculture and Food:
(1) What drought relief measures is the state government currently implementing to support farmers and others affected by drought?
(2) What drought assistance has the state government sought from the federal government to support Western Australians affected by drought?
(3) Why is there a delay in the state government reaching agreement with the federal government for the delivery of farm business concessional loans for 2017–18?
Hon ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:
(1) The drought assistance measures as agreed to under the Intergovernmental Agreement on National Drought Program Reform includes a farm household allowance and continued access to farm management deposits and taxation measures. The Rural Financial Counselling Service is also provided in WA, jointly funded by the federal and state governments.
(2)–(3) Negotiations are ongoing, as the federal government's criteria for the 2017–18 farm business concessional loans scheme do not make allowance for particular aspects of the WA climate. I will continue to argue that the key eligibility criteria are skewed in favour of the weather patterns in the eastern parts of Australia to the detriment of WA farmers. The 2017 dry season conditions within WA have not been of sufficient duration to ensure that WA businesses will meet the rainfall decile eligibility criteria that have been set by the federal government. We have written to the federal minister, but I understand that he is pretty much otherwise occupied and, indeed, might not be there for much longer, but we will press on.