David Van (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I, too, thank Senator Gallagher for this opportunity to speak on this timely matter of public importance relating to the coalition's government's support for regional and rural Australia. One thing is extremely clear: the coalition government backs regional Australia. We don't just want our regions to succeed; we want them to thrive. Just like my beloved Collingwood Magpies, we as coalition senators stand side by side with our farmers and small businesses in regional Australia. In my home state of Victoria we have around 21,200 farm businesses employing 77,000 people. Luckily, Victoria, this time around, is not as affected by drought as some states are. The devastation we're seeing in regional and rural New South Wales and Queensland is indeed tragic, and our thoughts are with those affected farmers and communities. Therefore, I note with pride that last week we, the coalition government, announced an additional $709 million towards our drought relief package. This will support farmers affected by drought and will see money flow right through the economy.

The coalition government's strategy is focused on three themes. Firstly, there is immediate action for those in drought. To date, we've helped over 12,700 farming families, with up to $100,000 for each family, paid over four years. It is important to note that this is not a loan, as it does not have to be paid back. However, additionally we are making new and existing drought loans for farmers interest-free for two years. These loans of up to $2 million will mean farmers can continue to purchase fodder, pay for freight and pay their farmhands. This will save farmers who refinance thousands of dollars and will help them get back on their feet when the drought breaks. The second prong of our strategy focuses on support for the wider communities affected by drought. The coalition government have committed an additional $1 million for each of the 122 drought affected councils and shires if they need it. Nationally, another $378 million will go into drought-affected community projects and an extra $138.9 million will go into our Roads to Recovery initiative. The third prong of our strategy addresses long-term resilience and preparedness. One initiative is the 100 gigalitres of water from South Australia that will be used to produce up to 120,000 tonnes of fodder such as silage and pasture. This will be a very big help to farmers in securing supplies.

So many communities across regional Australia have been doing it tough through this drought, and this package will help everyone get through it. It helps to protect jobs and the economy so that, when the drought breaks, we will bounce back even faster. This is one of the most important issues for all levels of government right now. We will continue to respond in practical and pragmatic ways for as long as it takes. Let me be clear: the coalition government is certainly not failing regional and rural Australia. We proudly stand by our strong policies and meaningful actions.