Drought-stricken farmers in the ACT have had their transport subsidies doubled to help cope with the extended dry conditions.
The ACT government's farmers' support package, which was first offered in 2018, has been extended into 2019-20 with transport subsidies for eligible farmers doubled from $20,0000 to $40,000.
Modelled on the NSW scheme, the package offers eligible farmers a 50 per cent freight transport subsidy.
The subsidies previously were set up to assist farmers in bringing in water and feed, and shifting stock. They have now been extended to include farm chemicals, fertiliser and seed.
No distance caps will apply to the subsidy during the 2019-20 financial year.
The subsidies are in addition to $150,000 in grants made under the separate "rural resilience" program.
To date, 26 rural resilience grants have been provided. Of these,17 paid for projects such as the de-silting of dams, the installation of bores, tanks or troughs, the re-direction water to where dams have dried up, and to allow better access to off-stream water.
Seven projects have helped farmers build infrastructure such as hay sheds and silos where fodder can be stored. Two projects assisted landholders to install fencing to manage kangaroo numbers on their properties and reduce grazing pressure.
Each resilience grant is for up to $10,000. Applications for the next funding round are now open and close on January 31.
"These projects will enable landholders to buy or grow their own stock fodder such as oats or lucerne and store this fodder and protect from the elements until they need to feed it out to their stock, taking the pressure off their soils and pastures," a government statement said.
"Most of landholders are also planning to use the fodder storing sheds to harvest rainfall for stock watering purposes."
