Victorians struggling with drought to get more: See what’s in the latest relief package

Farmers will be delivered an extra $75m in drought relief under a new package by the Allan Government, to be announced on Friday, with struggling households and communities the latest focus.

Struggling farmers will be delivered an extra $75m in drought relief under a new package by the Allan Government, to be announced on Friday.

Farmers in the south west, who are bearing the brunt of the two-year dry, will receive an extra $35.8m in assistance in the form of rate relief.

They will now be eligible for a Primary Producer Support Payments, which will amount to

a 40 per cent reduction on their property rates.

Farmers in 12 local government areas will be eligible, including Ararat, Moyne, Colac Otway, Pyrenees, Corangamite, Southern Grampians, Glenelg, Surf Coast, Golden

Plains, Warrnambool, City of Greater Geelong and southern parts of West Wimmera.

Additionally, to help struggling families the Country Women’s Association will be given $2m to distribute household payments of up to $1,000 to struggling families.

Other investments include $5.9m to support technical decision-making, mental health services, and farm debt mediation.

Up to $6.3 million will be invested for businesses to apply for duty relief, freeing up funds for other business needs or household budgets.

Adam Sewell at his farm Sheep Dip Hill at Joyces Creek in Central Victoria. Picture: Rob Leeson

Agriculture Victoria is collaborating Willa Lao move to explore waiving biosecurity duties and regulatory fees and indexation on the current fees will be paused for 12 months.

The new package is the result of meetings with the state’s newly created Drought Taskforce.

Water will also be a focus moving forward after it was flagged as a major concern this year by the Victorian Farmers Federation.

A $15m investment is set to extend the East Grampians Rural Pipeline, also known as the Mininera Rural Pipeline, matching the Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water contribution of $15.6m.

The expansion will provide reliable, high-quality water from Lake Fyans to 750 rural properties, 10 towns, 34 fire hydrants, and 66 firefighting tanks in Ararat Rural City, Northern Grampians, and Pyrenees Shire, but will require further federal funding.

Additionally, $3m will be invested to enhance Victoria’s Emergency Supply Point network, and $2.5m will be used to leverage existing groundwater bores for domestic and stock water access in drought-affected areas.

Struggling farmers will be delivered an extra $75m in drought relief. Picture: Supplied

The latest package being Victoria’s drought in cement to $144m.

The package has dramatically increased in recent months after the state government was called “tone deaf” for its first funding round coupled with a new Emergency Services Volunteer Levy.

Premier Jacinta Allan said: “We’ve been listening to farmers and communities who are doing it tough – this support delivers real help, right now.”

“This isn’t just about dollars – it’s about backing the people who feed our state and the regional communities that keep our state strong.”

“Thank you to the members of the Taskforce – Victorians from different communities, backgrounds and political parties who came together to deliver real relief for farming communities.”

Originally published as Victorians struggling with drought to get more: See what’s in the latest relief package