The Victorian Government on Friday, May 30 said it would extend its On-Farm Drought Infrastructure Grants Program, which enables farmers to access up to $5000 for projects like upgrading water tanks and grain storage.
It comes on top of a $15.9 million package the government announced in mid-May, which extended an initial $13.5 million support package from September last year.
Importantly, the grant is a co-contribution to a project, meaning farmers will also need to put forward funds.
But the updated drought package from the government is too little, too late, according to member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell.
Ms Lovell said that while the expanded support would provide some assistance to farmers in northern Victoria, the package does not commit to subsidising water supply for agricultural purposes or assisting water cartage for farmers.
“The current support package, which requires farmers to make a co-contribution toward on-farm infrastructure for water and grain storage, is a package to prepare for future droughts – but farmers need support for this drought,” Ms Lovell said.
The government said farmers in 24 drought-impacted local government areas would also pay a reduced Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund contribution, capped to the same amount they paid in 2024-25.
“Prolonged protests by CFA volunteers and farmers have forced the Allan Labor Government to accept that tripling the emergency services tax on farmers is cruel and heartless – but they had to be dragged kicking and screaming to this backflip, and the pause on the tax increase will not last forever,” Ms Lovell said.
“I will keep fighting to scrap the tax for good, and to get substantial direct assistance to farmers in need right now.”
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