Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Williams for that question and recognise the difficult circumstances that many of his New South Wales constituents are facing in New South Wales in one of the worst droughts in our recorded history. These are people like Andrew Curro, a farmer from Mudgee, who has said, 'Cobar hasn't seen any real rain since before Christmas and it's a horrible thing to witness.' I'm sure all of us in this chamber express our best wishes to those facing these difficult circumstances. And we continue as a government to support our farmers in the best way we can.

Yesterday, building on announcements we've made recently, the agriculture minister, Mr Littleproud, the Prime Minister, Mr Turnbull, and the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr McCormack, all made further announcements to support our farmers. That takes our assistance to drought affected farmers to $1.8 billion during this drought, recognising this drought in some locations has gone on for many years, particularly in western Queensland. Yesterday we announced a further $75 million for the Drought Communities Program. It's an assistance package to help small councils invest in community infrastructure. That not only helps that local town or community; it also provides important off-farm income for farmers and those in towns suffering from drought. We have announced a further $23 million for the Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative, a very important program that helps cap bores in the Great Artesian Basin, increasing pressure and allowing more water extraction for farmers over the long term. We've increased the amount of concessional loans that can go to farmers, from a $1 million cap to a $2 million cap, again recognising the extent and severity of this drought. Finally, we have invested another $72 million in the National Water Infrastructure Development Fund. This is going to help farms invest in water infrastructure on their properties. It will not only give them jobs and work to do during this drought but also make their place more resilient for the future. These are important investments to help our farmers in this nation.