Drought aid ?dry for businesses'

DROUGHT assistance now offered to Cooloola farmers is not good enough, because it leaves many rural businesses high and dry, Mayor Mick Venardos said yesterday.

DROUGHT assistance now offered to Cooloola farmers is not good enough, because it leaves many rural businesses high and dry, Mayor Mick Venardos said yesterday.

Cr Venardos welcomed the announcement by Primary Industries Minister Tim Mulherin that Cooloola Shire has now been drought declared, entitling farmers to receive Exceptional Circumstances relief.

"But it doesn't go far enough," Cr Venardos said yesterday.

"It does not include the many businesses in the area that are wholly or partly dependent on rural producers.

"The State Government should widen access to this sort of assistance," he said.

Mr Mulherin said yesterday the drought declaration is effective from March 12.

He said Cooloola in the past year had recorded well below average rainfall, with some patchy storm rain providing short-term relief to only a handful of properties.

"Most creeks in the area have had little flow, along with pasture quality being very low," he said.

The Cooloola announcement means 63.4 per cent of Queensland is now drought declared.

Originally published as Drought aid ?dry for businesses'