Help at Hand During Drought

SINCE the last drought much has changed in the way government assistance is provided to farmers and rural financial counsellors are encouraging local people to contact them so they can help prepare applications for drought assistance.

Terry Pearce, a rural financial counsellor, said rather than farmers self-assess what they may be able to access, if they contact a rural financial counsellor they can help them navigate the system and ensure they can access any support they are eligible for.

“We are here to help them find help, to link them to services that may be able to get them assistance and we can give them the information and tools to assess their own viability,” said Mr Pearce.

“Our role at the end of the day is to do ourselves out of a job and have them in a position where they can assess their balance sheet, assess their cashflow and determine their own financial needs and to be here in situations like this where farmers need help,” he said.

“We are not social counsellors, but we can refer them on for that support,” he said.

“I would encourage farmers to talk to their LLS (Local Land Services) because they are the people who would normally have gathered the anecdotal evidence of drought and they still pass information from the ground through to the government,” Terry Pearce said.

Mr Pearce explained there are three main drought relief options available including:

• A Farm Household Allowance: Farmers can apply for the allowance for three years over their lifetime. The payment can be as much as $486.50 per fortnight for each person. If there is a couple who farm together they are both entitled to apply for the benefit. The allowance is administered through Centrelink. Farmers may also be entitled to other benefits such as a health care card or energy supplement.
• Drought Assistance Concessional Loans: The loans allow farmers to restructure existing debt or purchase additional operating costs such as fodder or water with a variable 3.09% rate for a loan term of 10 years. The loans can be used for 50% of the eligible debt, with a maximum of loan of $1 million. The loans are available through the Rural Assistance Authority. Part of the eligibility for a loan is the Australian Rainfall Deficiency Analyser. However even in cases where the property is not marked as drought declared on the map, people can still prove they are impacted for example showing an increase in fodder costs or a failed crop due to lack of rain. See story: Is Your Property Drought Declared?
• Farm Innovation Fund – The fund is designed to help farmers prepare for drought such as water infrastructure, fodder storage, or to sink a bore. In some cases the need of a farmer during a drought may still qualify under this scheme. The fund is administered through the Rural Assistance Authority.

Contact a Rural Financial Counsellor:

• Rural Financial Counselling Service: 1800 686 175
• Scone: Angela Hayes: T: 02 6545 3544. Please note Ms Hayes is away this week, but other financial counsellors are available.
• Taree: T: 02 6651 5879
• Tocal: T: 02 4939 8942

Resources:

• The Drought Hub – Local Land Services
• Current Drought Support – Local Land Services
• Farm Household Allowance – Centrelink
• Farm Innovation Fund – Rural Assistance Authority

Related Stories:

• Time to Support Farmers in Drought – January 30, 2018.
• Drought Support Session – January 23, 2018.
• Is Your Property Drought Declared? – January 23, 2018.
• Sell and Weep, but Sell Anyway – January 22, 2018.
• Small Mercy in Dire Drought – January 18,2018.