Farmers are urging the state and federal governments to provide Category D disaster relief for New South Wales regions devastated by recent floods, as fresh storms threaten the state.
NSW Farmers' Dairy Committee Chair Mal Holm said that more than a month after the latest disaster, many farmers still lack the necessary support to recover from a series of floods and severe weather events.
"In the hardest-hit regions, we've seen farms completely levelled and destruction on a scale we haven't witnessed in our lifetimes," Mr Holm said.
"To date, more than $107 million in damages to the agricultural sector have been reported to the government, and we know that's just the beginning of the devastation.
"The support for severely affected farmers simply isn't enough. Despite hundreds rallying for our cause, we feel abandoned—left alone in the elements as yet another potential disaster looms."
With more wild weather forecast for the east coast, Mr Holm called on the government to increase disaster recovery grants for severely flood-affected primary and aquaculture producers in NSW from $25,000 to $75,000 before further damage occurs.
"This is the bare minimum farmers need to continue producing the food and fibre that feeds the world. Yet the current support is no more than a drop in the ocean compared to the scale of the damage," he said.
"We need to see fair financial support, like that provided in disasters of similar magnitude.
"The government has left these farming communities out to dry—but the problem is, the water just keeps rising."
For more information:
Eliza Fessey
NSW Farmers
Tel: +61 (0) 427 411 220
Email: [email protected]
www.nswfarmers.org.au