Premier visits farmers in the South East, Drought Commissioner appointed

Premier Peter Malinauskas and Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Clare Scriven are today visiting farmland in the South East to hear directly from farmers impacted by the drought.

The Malinauskas Government is supporting primary producers and regional communities through the $73 million Drought Support Package, which has been developed in direct consultation with farmers and industry representatives.

The State Government has also appointed Alex Zimmerman as the Commissioner for Drought Support in South Australia to assist with managing the drought response, including monitoring the progress of drought support and addressing any issues or barriers.

A former chief inspector with South Australian Police, Mr Zimmerman has also previously served to assist communities impacted but other disaster events.

More than 2300 applications have been approved for the On-Farm Drought Infrastructure Grants program which provides grants up to $20,000 for projects that help manage drought conditions and strengthen preparedness.

The State Government has funded the transport costs of charities to deliver more than 6,000 tonnes of donated hay to over 700 farmers across South Australia, with more deliveries to come.

More than $240,000 in funding has been granted for events that encourage communities to come together, share experiences and reinforce the unity and strength of rural areas.

The package includes grants to cover council rates and other essential expenses and significant investment in mental health support.

Quotes

Attributable to Peter Malinauskas

Work on funnelling support to those affected by drought right across the state remains ongoing, and we will continue to back in our farmers through this difficult time. We’ve now appointed a drought commissioner, and we are getting money out the door and into the hands of farmers as quickly as possible.

Today, Minister Scriven and I will continue to listen directly to farmers to ensure we’re doing everything in our power to help.

Attributable to Clare Scriven

We are listening to the concerns of farmers, primary industry representatives and regional communities as the impacts from the drought continue to be felt across the state.

We continue to monitor the rollout of the wide range of assistance initiatives available through the $73 million Drought Support Package and to ensure the support reaches those who need it.

The impacts from the drought are going to be felt for a long time, we are committed to working with our farmers and regional communities to navigate this challenging time now and into the future.