AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT - INCREASED DROUGHT ASSISTANCE
The Australian Government will provide a further $714 million in drought assistance measures to support farmers through the worst drought in our nation's history.
Today's funding is in addition to the $430 million announced last week to extend the 38 areas of agricultural production currently receiving Exceptional Circumstances (EC) assistance until September 2008.
These new measures will make it easier for farmers and small business to access EC assistance, provide direct grants to irrigators and help with social pressures facing farming families across rural and regional Australia.
Today's announcement includes:
- An increase to the off-farm income exemption from $10,000 to $20,000; ($33 million)
- An increase to the off-farm assets limit, for access to Exceptional Circumstances Interest Rate Subsidy, from $473,000 to $750,000; ($143 million)
- Immediate access to the $5000 professional advice and planning grants for farmers in EC declared areas; ($26 million)
- Extending the eligibility of small businesses access to EC assistance, to include all small businesses in towns of up to 10,000 population that have a significant reliance on farmers for their income, and have suffered a downturn; ($142 million)
- An exit grant of up to $150,000 for farmers who have decided to leave the land, and an increase in the assets limit to access this grant, to $350,000; ($150 million)
- A further $10,000 is available for advice and retraining, and up to $10,000 for relocation expenses is also available to those who take up the exit grant; ($20 million)
- Funding for up to an additional 13 Rural Financial Counsellors, an additional 10 Centrelink Rural Support Officers and five social workers; ($8 million)
- Additional social and emotional counselling through the establishment of 25 Family Support Drought Response teams; ($11 million)
- Up to an additional $10,000 a school in EC declared areas; ($46 million) and
- An additional $4.5 million for the Emergency Relief Program to fund community and charitable organisations to provide emergency assistance.
Farmers are strongly encouraged not to self-assess but to contact Centrelink on the National Drought Helpline 13 23 16 as soon as possible to check their eligibility for EC assistance.
JODI BJORKSTEN, Grants Coordinator, Strathbogie Shire Council
For details/interview call the Editor on (03) 5798 1858
