Drought line set for flood

By Kath Gannaway
JUDY Anderson will be calling Centrelink this week after the Federal Government’s announcement of drought assistance for the Shire of Yarra Ranges.
The Steels Creek organic vegetable farmer welcomed the news, along with the good soaking rains which fell over the weekend.
Ms Anderson pleaded for help in the Mail last year when, with her dams empty and ground bone dry, she was threatened with financial ruin.
She gained access to water but it has been hard, back-breaking work to keep the water up to her livelihood.
“With the rain I can see it getting back to normal and this announcement will, hopefully, help me get over some of the financial hurdles until I can get the farm back to what it used to be,” she said.
McEwen MP Fran Bailey said being included on the Government’s Exceptional Circumstances (EC) register was good news after a long and emotional campaign throughout which farmers have struggled through unprecedented drought conditions.
It is the first time all of Victoria’s agricultural land had been covered.
The Mail reported just weeks ago that information provided to the State Government Department of Primary Industries had failed to get support for an EC submission when only 10 Yarra Ranges producers submitted data.
The door was left open for a further application later in the year.
In the meantime however, State Government Minister for Agriculture, Joe Helper had submitted an application to his federal counterpart, Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran, for EC-declaration for five Gippsland shires and the Shire of Yarra Ranges.
Ms Bailey said she had campaigned on behalf of the local industry and that farmers and farm-reliant small businesses will now be able to apply for up to six months’ income support.
Yarra Valley Wine Growers Association president Michael Matthews also welcomed the news.
“The region has gone through tremendous hardship and so many exceptional events in recent times and I know growers and wineries in the valley will be very pleased and relieved,” he said.
On the other side of the valley, orchardist Peter Burgi said irrigation farmers like himself in the Upper Yarra region have been feeling the effect of a number of years of reduced rainfall.
“On our property in Gruyere we will come very close to running out of water in the dams this season and in Wandin we will also be very low,” Mr Burgi said.
Mr Burgi also runs cattle and said with grass getting very thin on the ground they have had to start supplementary feeding some months earlier than normal.
“It’s hard to say how drought impacts on a given year, it’s more of a cumulative effect,” he said.
The Centrelink Drought Assistance Line is 13 23 16. Ms Bailey said assistance is also available from her office on 1300 131 186.Ms Bailey said it was important that farmers do not self access for EC status and added that many farmers are entitled to more assistance than they may realise.
Mr Burgi agreed. “Of all the things I’ve seen on this so far, the best bit of advice I’ve heard is don’t self-assess, don’t count yourself out,” he said.