The Federal Government has decided seasonal conditions have improved enough in 16 regions in Queensland, South Australia, NSW, Western Australia and the Northern Territory to take farmers there off exceptional circumstances financial aid, but it has extended EC aid for three other drought-stricken regions.
The EC declarations for the 19 regions were due to expire on June 15 and were thus subject to reassessment by the National Rural Advisory Council, which recommended the drought declarations be lifted in 16 of those areas.
However, NRAC found conditions had not improved for two areas in South Australia and one in Queensland and recommended EC assistance be extended in:
· Far West Queensland area, including the towns of Boulia and Middleton;
· Central North East South Australia, including the towns of Lyndhurst, Leigh Creek, Beltana, Hawker and Yunta; and
· SA's North West Rangelands area, including the towns of Oodnadatta, Coober Pedy, Tarcoola and Woomera.
According to the office of Agriculture Minister Tony Burke, NRAC also found some areas had variable conditions, with some parts still affected by drought while recovery had begun in other parts.
It recommended EC assistance should be extended within the following parts of existing EC areas:
· South-West Queensland Revised area, with the continuing EC part including the towns of Quilpie, Thargomindah, Windorah;
· Qld's Western Downs–Maranoa Revised area, with the continuing part including the towns of Wandoan, Guluguba, Glenmorgan and Meandarra;
· Qld's Central Darling Downs Revised area, with the continuing part including the town of Tara; and
· Qld's Northern Darling Downs Revised area, with the continuing part including the towns of Miles, Chinchilla and Condamine.
For the remaining parts of South-West Queensland; Western Downs-Maranoa; Central Darling Downs and Northern Darling Downs, the NRAC found seasonal conditions had improved and recommended that assistance should cease.
NRAC also found producers in the following areas had begun to recover and recommended EC assistance should not be extended in:
· Qld's Burnett area, including the towns of Mount Perry, Gin Gin, Childers, Gayndah, Wondai, Kingaroy, Yarraman, Crows Nest and Esk;
· Qld's Burnett Addendum Revised area, including the towns of Dululu, Bracewell, Nagoorin, Calliope;
· Qld's Duaringa – Bauhinia area, including the town of Woorabinda;
· Qld's Mount Morgan area;
· Qld's North West Ashy Downs Second Revision area;
· Qld's Southern South East revised area, including the towns of Murphy’s Creek, Grantham, Gatton, Forest Hill, Rosewood, Walloon, Townson and Ipswich City Council);
· the Waggamba area, including the town of Kurumbul;
· NSW's Bourke area (formerly Bourke and Brewarrina area), including the towns of Enngonia, Fords Bridge, Bourke, Louth and Byrock;
· NSW's Central North North-West Northern New England Revision area, including the towns of Ashford, Bukkulla, Emmaville, Tent Hill, Stannum;
· NSW's Northern Tablelands Small Areas Revised area, including the towns of Wellingrove, Sapphire, Kingsland, Stannifer and Maybole;
· NT's South-East Alice Springs area, including the towns of Alice Springs and Finke; and
· WA's Southern Rangelands Revised area, including the towns of Broad Arrow, Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Kambalda, Norseman, Coonana.
Mr Burke's office said that last year the Government established the Transitional Income Support system to help the most needy producers in areas moving out of drought who are still experiencing financial difficulty.
The program helps the most needy producers in these areas with basic living costs, such as keeping food on the table.
Mr Burke said the Government recognised the current drought support system was not working for farmers and details of its reforms would be released later in the year.
"The system of lines on a map means that one farmer may be eligible while their neighbour on the other side of the fence is not," Mr Burke said.
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