Chris Ellison (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

That is indeed a very important question from Senator McGauran dealing with the drought, which afflicts so much of regional Australia today. The Howard government are vitally concerned about the drought, which affects not only primary producers but also those businesses dependent on farming. In October 2006 we announced an extension to exceptional circumstances, and a number of areas were declared in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. As a result of that, the drought bus initiative was introduced. We have three drought buses operating across a number of states. It is fantastic when you see the work that has been done in regional Australia in delivering services to those people in regional Australia where there might not be a Centrelink office or there might not be readily available those sorts of services that we enjoy in the city.

Some 60,000 calls have been answered by the Australian Government Drought Hotline, and Centrelink has finalised more than 15,000 applications. Importantly, the drought bus service includes not only Centrelink and Medicare staff but also social workers and rural service officers travelling to regional Australia to provide a range of assistance to people in regional Australia who want to take that up. I think that is very important, because we have to realise that the drought brings with it not only economic problems but also social problems, and the counselling that goes with these services is very important indeed. We are extending the drought bus program, and I am looking forward to launching it in my home state of Western Australia in April this year.

For those people who think they are eligible for assistance, it is important that they not self-assess but that they test their eligibility. I urge them to call 132316—a hotline which is available for them—to see what assistance is available.