Farmers have sent a list of key demands for immediate drought response to government, including a call for the commonwealth to pay council rates for affected businesses and to offer exit packages for those wanting to leave the land.
Releasing its national drought policy on Wednesday, the National Farmers’ Federation will outline its priorities for a new national framework, while also listing a set of demands for farmers affected by the current drought.
The call comes amid simmering tensions between the Nationals and the Liberal party about the government’s drought response, with calls from regional MPs for the government to do more, and frustrations about One Nation stealing the limelight in regional areas.
Labor is also ramping up its demands, calling on the government to extend financial assistance for drought-affected farmers and to release a “secret” report from the drought coordinator, Major General Stephen Day.
The drought policy from Australia’s peak agricultural group, which has been provided to the government, calls for a focus on long-term drought preparedness, resilience, and in-drought management for farming businesses and rural and regional communities across Australia.
It also recommends the establishment of a new drought committee, a drought forum and a regular mechanism to assess the effectiveness of all drought measures.
In terms of immediate support, the NFF suggests a range of measures, including local council rate relief and a two-year interest-free period for Regional Investment Corporation Drought Loans.
The NFF says drought-affected farming businesses should be given the option of deferring local government and pasture lease rates for a defined period without incurring default interest, with the commonwealth providing funding to the relevant local government area “to cover the temporary shortfall in rates revenue”.
The organisation is also calling for the commonwealth to consider providing exit packages for farming families wanting to leave the land after assessment of their long-term viability, and a consideration of payroll subsidies for farming businesses equal to the Newstart Allowance “to support local community capacity”.
Other financial support measures include a proposal for the government to provide a top-up payment of at least $2,000 per child to the Assistance for Isolated Children allowance, and additional funding for rural schools in severely drought-affected communities.
A feral pig eradication measure is also proposed, with the NFF saying the animals pose a biosecurity risk and are a highly destructive pest, particularly in drought.
The policy document also highlights the need for the government to prepare for climate change variability, saying it will likely exacerbate drought conditions into the future.
The minister for the drought, David Littleproud, told Insiders last week that once he received the NFF’s report, he would “put that in front of cabinet” to supplement the government’s existing drought response.
The government is expected to soon announce further drought measures, with the prime minister, Scott Morrison, telling parliament the government is finalising its response to the Day report which will be provided in the “not too distant future”.
“What you will see when you see that report [is] the extensive implementation of the issues that have been raised by the coordinator general in informing the government’s drought response.”
Morrison’s indication that the government will do more comes after leadership tensions flared in the Nationals’ partyroom meeting on Monday.
In the meeting, one Queensland Nationals MP, Llew O’Brien, threatened to move a spill against the deputy leader, Bridget McKenzie, expressing anger at her handling of a code of conduct for the dairy industry.
The former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce downplayed the possibility of a leadership spill against McKenzie, telling the ABC that she and the party’s leader, Michael McCormack, were doing “the best job they possibly can”.
But Joyce also indicated the Nationals would be using their leverage within the Coalition to get better outcomes for farmers.
“It is quite clear that, with a majority of one, the Nationals have an incredibly potent position in this government. I’m sure that Mr Morrison, the leader of the Liberal party, understands that. And we do drive an agenda, because the alternative is there wouldn’t be a government here,” Joyce said.
