For too long in NSW, drought assistance has been only offered after it was too late – when things had reached crisis point, rather than helping farmers in the good years to prepare for the bad.

Lines were just drawn on maps and assistance was provided based on whether you were in a “drought-declared” Local Government Area.

Previous governments allowed some of our farmers to live drought-to-drought – putting in place only Band-Aid solutions and quick fixes.

We have to learn from the past – for years programs like transport and fodder subsidies and simply drawing lines on maps didn’t work.

It led to farmers missing out, it caused farmers to delay making critical decisions and those farmers who did prepare for drought were penalised. 

Worst of all it did nothing to help farmers prepare for future droughts, and to improve the resilience of the sector. 

And farmers told us this. We have put a stop to that cycle.

In June, I was pleased to announce the allocation of $63 million in the 2015-16 NSW budget to assist our farmers to manage for drought. 

This is the first year of our five-year, $300 million-plus NSW Drought Strategy, which is about supporting our farmers to prepare for and make it through droughts now and into the future. 

The strategy’s centrepiece is the Farm Innovation Fund – which provides farmers with 20-year loans of up to $250,000 per project at 2.5 per cent concessional interest, to install and upgrade on-farm infrastructure. 

That’s infrastructure and works like silos, tanks, de-silting of dams, water infrastructure, fodder storage and fencing – a range of activities which will help improve the risk management capability of a property. 

The strategy will also provide grants to farmers to access farm business planning and training, and will continue to fund transport subsidies for animal welfare and donated fodder and the Rural Support Worker program.

We aren’t just putting in measures and walking away – we are listening to farmers and we are constantly assessing if adjustments to our NSW Drought Strategy are needed.

N. Blair,

Minister for Primary Industries.