Pr Bourke Ec Declarations Extended

19 AUGUST 2008

DAFF08/105B

The Hon. Tony Burke MP M

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Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

(2 pages) Federal Government accepts advice on drought declarations The Rudd Government today announced it will extend assistance for 32 drought-declared areas in NSW, Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia. Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Tony Burke said the Government had accepted the advice of the National Rural Advisory Council which reviewed areas due to expire on 30 September 2008. Farmers and small businesses in the areas which have been extended can now access assistance until 31 March 2009. The National Rural Advisory Council found that drought is continuing to severely affect production in the following EC-declared areas: •

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NSW – Braidwood; Central Tablelands; Central North North-West Coonamble revision; Central North North-West Northern New England revision; Condobolin; CondobolinNarrandera; Cooma-Bombala-ACT; Dubbo; Forbes; Goulburn-Yass; Gundagai; Hay; Hume; Majority Western Division; Molong; Mudgee-Merriwa; Northern New England; North-East Northern New England revised; Northern Tablelands Small Areas; Nyngan; Riverina; South West Slopes and Plains; Walgett-Coonamble; Young Victoria – Central Victoria south revised; Central Victoria north revised; Mallee – Northern Wimmera revised; North-East Victoria; Northern Victoria revised Western Australia – North Eastern Wheatbelt; Southern Rangelands South Australia – Upper North Cropping

The National Rural Advisory Council further advised that seasonal conditions had improved and a sustainable recovery was commencing in the following four areas: • •

NSW – Armidale, Casino and South Coast-Moss Vale Victoria – Central and East Gippsland

Exceptional Circumstances assistance will not be extended in these four areas beyond 30 September 2008. “The Government has accepted the advice of the independent National Rural Advisory Council on all 36 areas,” Mr Burke said. “The fact that drought assistance has been extended in 32 areas shows that farmers continue to struggle with the drought in many parts of the country, despite recent rainfall in certain areas. “The Rudd Government committed more than $760 million for EC assistance in the 2008-09 financial year.

…/2 Media contact: Ann-Marie Wilcock 0413 872 275

Media release from the Hon. Tony Burke, MP - Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

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“Eligible farmers in the four areas coming out of EC declaration will be able to apply for assistance under the new Transitional Income Support Program, established by the Rudd Government this year. “This new program is helping farmers with daily living expenses such as keeping food on the table. Before this program, farmers coming off EC may not have had access to any other short-term welfare funding.” The National Rural Advisory Council also found conditions were mixed across the Central NorthNorth West and North-East Northern New England EC-declared areas. The Council recommended new boundaries to better reflect drought-affected areas, in consultation with the NSW Government. It also recommended refining most of the EC-declared area boundaries in Victoria to better reflect drought-affected areas, in consultation with the Victorian Government. While the names of some Victorian EC-declared areas have changed, assistance will continue in all areas which have been extended. For more information on assistance for drought-affected families and small businesses, call the national Drought Assistance Hotline on 13 23 16.

Media contact: Ann-Marie Wilcock 0413 872 275