Minister for Western NSW and Member for Barwon Kevin Humphries has welcomed today’s announcement the NSW Government will provide additional assistance for drought-stricken farmers.

Mr Humphries said that among the range of measures contained within the emergency drought assistance package included the expansion of a temporary package of emergency in-drought support measures to an additional 19 local government areas (LGAs) in NSW.

The temporary emergency assistance package will be expanded to include the LGAs of: Armidale; Bogan; Central Darling; Cobar; Coonamble; Gilgandra; Glen Innes; Gunnedah; Guyra; Gwydir; Inverell; Moree Plains; Narrabri; Tamworth Regional; Tenterfield; Uralla; Walcha; Warren; and Warrumbungle, as well as the Unincorporated Area.

 “These new measures will help many communities across Western NSW at a time when they need help most,” Mr Humphries said.

 “Most of our primary producers in Western NSW have only had two of the past ten years free of either drought or flood and although landholders had been well prepared, the current drought has been longer and dryer than anticipated.

 “These assistance measures will make a significant difference to the ability of primary producers in communities throughout Western NSW to deal with the tough conditions they are currently facing.

 In November 2013 the NSW Government announced a $7.6 million emergency assistance package for the Bourke, Brewarrina and Walgett LGAs. Today’s announcement increases the amount allocated to the support package to $14.6 million.

 Minister for Primary Industries Katrina Hodgkinson said the measures - which are back-dated to 1 July 2013 for the Bourke, Brewarrina and Walgett local government areas and will be back-dated to 1 January 2014 for the new areas - include:

• Up to $20,000 per producer in the form of a Transport Assistance Reimbursement;

• Up to $30,000 per producer for Emergency Water Infrastructure Grants; and

• The waiving of Western Lands Lease payments, Local Land Services rates and Wild Dog Destruction Board rates for a 12-month period, where applicable.

“Seasonal conditions are deteriorating at a rapid rate across a large portion of NSW and I am concerned at the severity and speed at which this drought is moving across the landscape,” Ms Hodgkinson said.

“While the NSW Government recognises that producers must make sound management decisions and implement extensive preparedness measures to deal with adverse seasonal conditions, no matter how well a farmer may prepare for drought, it is impossible to completely drought-proof a property.”