Ms ANDERSON - 2005-08-18
Despite recent rainfalls, Central Australian and Barkly pastoralists are experiencing some of the lowest rainfall on record. Have any pastoral producers applied to have their properties drought declared?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for her question. It is a serious situation in Central Australia. In early May, I was advised that pastoralists in Central Australia and the Barkly were facing some difficult situations because they had not had rain for a long time. I immediately asked the department to inform the Drought Steering Committee and call for applications for drought declaration.
Fifty-two properties applied for drought declaration and the department managed to inspect these properties urgently. It usually takes about eight to 12 weeks; however, they moved quickly and inspected these properties within six weeks. I have to say that the situation was very grim. What is really of concern to me is that most of these properties are family-owned properties, not company-owned properties, and the effect on families in Central Australia and the Barkly will be significant.
The department found that cattle had been removed already, at double the usual turn-off, from 33 properties in Central Australia and early turn-off in 19 properties in the Barkly.
There was some recent rainfall in Central Australia but it is not going to do much. As I was advised by Roy Chisholm, a pastoralist in the Tanami Desert, if it does not rain again by November the situation will return to what it was before. There will be some grass on the land, but they need more rain for the situation to be reversed.
The department is continuing to work with the pastoral industry. There are already programs in place such as the Pastoral Water Enhancement Scheme, FarmBis and Farm Help, and the Farm Management Deposits Scheme that promotes infrastructure development and serves to build capacity in the industry and provide business support.
The department met with federal bureaucrats from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to discuss drought declaration under exceptional circumstances. Twice in the past there have been applications for drought assistance under exceptional circumstances provisions, both of which failed. We are looking to work very closely with the industry and the federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry on how we can submit an application under the exceptional circumstances provisions and, this time, obtain some assistance.
The problem we have is that the exceptional circumstances assistance is designed mainly for pastoralists, horticulturalists or farmers on the eastern seaboard, and refers to a severe drought that occurs once in 25 years, whilst in Central Australia we have severe drought occurring once every 10 to 15 years.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for her question. It is a serious situation in Central Australia. In early May, I was advised that pastoralists in Central Australia and the Barkly were facing some difficult situations because they had not had rain for a long time. I immediately asked the department to inform the Drought Steering Committee and call for applications for drought declaration.
Fifty-two properties applied for drought declaration and the department managed to inspect these properties urgently. It usually takes about eight to 12 weeks; however, they moved quickly and inspected these properties within six weeks. I have to say that the situation was very grim. What is really of concern to me is that most of these properties are family-owned properties, not company-owned properties, and the effect on families in Central Australia and the Barkly will be significant.
The department found that cattle had been removed already, at double the usual turn-off, from 33 properties in Central Australia and early turn-off in 19 properties in the Barkly.
There was some recent rainfall in Central Australia but it is not going to do much. As I was advised by Roy Chisholm, a pastoralist in the Tanami Desert, if it does not rain again by November the situation will return to what it was before. There will be some grass on the land, but they need more rain for the situation to be reversed.
The department is continuing to work with the pastoral industry. There are already programs in place such as the Pastoral Water Enhancement Scheme, FarmBis and Farm Help, and the Farm Management Deposits Scheme that promotes infrastructure development and serves to build capacity in the industry and provide business support.
The department met with federal bureaucrats from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to discuss drought declaration under exceptional circumstances. Twice in the past there have been applications for drought assistance under exceptional circumstances provisions, both of which failed. We are looking to work very closely with the industry and the federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry on how we can submit an application under the exceptional circumstances provisions and, this time, obtain some assistance.
The problem we have is that the exceptional circumstances assistance is designed mainly for pastoralists, horticulturalists or farmers on the eastern seaboard, and refers to a severe drought that occurs once in 25 years, whilst in Central Australia we have severe drought occurring once every 10 to 15 years.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016