Andrew Gee (Calare, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

They opposed it. They didn't want this important organisation that supports our farmers to come into existence. It's not just going to support concessional loans—there's $2 billion for that—but there's another $2 billion for federal water infrastructure.

It is really important if you're going to have a facility like this that it's run and administered properly and that it's actually out where the farmers are, where they need the help. Our farmers are doing an extraordinary job in really difficult circumstances. Some are buying fodder in. Some are agisting. Each have their own different strategies to cope with it. One of my constituents, Philip Blowes from Yeoval, for example, has taken a different approach. He's actually growing barley sprouts in a shed not too far away from his house. He grows them on a cycle. They take a few days to mature, and once they get to 10 or 15 centimetres high he takes the sprouts out and feeds the sheep. I've been out with him feeding the sheep. It's a great source of nutrition, it's very effective and it's cheaper than getting fodder in. That's just one example of a resilient farmer, a farmer who has found an innovative way to deal with the drought situation. It's not a new concept, but he's taken it and refined it.

When you look at farmers like that you know that the future of agriculture is bright, but they're still going to need help. We still need to help them get through this so that this sector is vibrant and continues to be the bedrock of the Australian economy. We can't do without agriculture. Once this drought passes we're going to have to rebuild, but, for the moment, it's a question of getting through and helping our farmers get through, and they need all the help that they can get. These measures that have been announced recently are a really good start but, as I have said, this situation looks grim. The season is worsening and, as it worsens, we need to ramp up drought support.

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