Farmers Hope Deputy Premier Listens

By Di Sneddon

LOCAL farmers have shared their voice in the hope they will be listened to with news of new drought relief packages anticipated within the month.

Cut the red tape, ease the constraints and respond now, at the very least recognise a drought declaration for the property owners.

This was the message strongly expressed during a candid discussion between district farmers on Friday with Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional New South Wales John Barilaro.

They met on the Yarramac property, outside Scone, as part of a state-wide information gathering session aiming to bring financial relief, short, medium and long term solutions to what is a dire situation compounded by a raft of localised issues as well as those common factors felt across the state.

Mr Barilaro told the group the visits to drought affected areas was crucial.

“The issues are different from area to area so it is important we  visit each area and talk,” he said.

According to a spokesperson for Mr Barilaro’s entourage, the information from across NSW would be formulated with announcement of packages anticipated in ‘a couple of weeks’.

Drought declarations are a thing of the past but those on the ground say their re-introduction would give, if nothing else, moral support to farmers.

“At least they would know they are not on their own, that they haven’t done anything wrong,” one of the farmers said.

With heads nodding, Friday was an opportunity to vent, a chance to discuss the broader issues and while dam infrastructure came up, it was the here and now that was forefront of people’s minds.

The now included impacts of wild dogs, the fight for pasture from kangaroos, the lack of access to irrigation, the cost, quality and availability of hay and the sustainability of core breeding stock.

Suggestions coming forward included removing red tape involved with wild dog and kangaroo control and lifting weight restrictions now imposed on feed transport vehicles crossing the Victorian border into New South Wales.

Anton White from Belltrees suggested an immediate audit of available feed supplies.

“We don’t know what’s out there and we need to know,” he said adding that this sort of basic information would help farmers make the decisions that now confront them.

Merriwa’s Pat Ryan added to this saying he had thought he had secured a hay delivery, only to be told it was gone.

Another spoke about the mandatory payment of water licensing fees (he pays $1000 a year) despite the fact they haven’t had access to water from the Hunter River in 18 months.

Member for Upper Hunter Michael Johnsen spoke of an opportunity for first farm buyers to have stamp duty and other fees removed from the purchase which was acknowledged as helpful from those in the audience.

But the question that had to be asked is who would want to buy a farm in the current climate?

“You talk about a few food men, well that’s what it’s going to be, a few good men left, if that,” Antonio White said.

Taken on Board

While there was much discussed, one point that pricked the ear of Mr Barilaro was made by Merriwa’s Pat Ryan.

Mr Ryan spoke of the unique relationship farmers had with their financial institutions.

Some of these relationships date 20 years or more and there was a feeling of trust, he said.

Mr Ryan pushed that farmers should have the opportunity to negotiate their financial situation to access the government’s interest free loans with their banker instead of going through the existing process.

Mr Barilaro said it was a point he hadn’t heard before.

“I want your number before I leave and we will discuss this further,” Mr Barilaro said.