Emergency meeting over SA farmers drought funding sees Premier Malinauskas open door to new announcement

Premier Peter Malinauskas has held an emergency meeting after farmers crushed by the drought descended on state parliament calling for immediate support.

Farmer Andrew Kitto talking to the media at Parliament House in Adelaide, after calling for urgent drought assistance. Picture: Matt Loxton

Premier Peter Malinauskas left the door open to finding new drought funding sooner than the June state budget for desperate farmers as around 20 descended on state parliament calling for immediate support.

Farmers met with opposition leader Vincent Tarzia who told parliament many faced “a minimum 10-week wait” to hear if $5000 rebate applications were successful as they were forced to de-stock and struggled with drought decimating their businesses.

He told of one Freeling farmer whose crop yields were decimated by 75 per cent from lack of rain “who can’t wait three months until the budget” for new funding as alluded to by the Premier in recent reports.

A state emergency management committee meeting Wednesday morning focused on drought and its impact on the state and Premier Malinauskas said the government was looking to “expedite” new support on top of an $18m package announced in November last year.

Farmers Andrew Kitto and Steph Schmidt at Parliament House in Adelaide, after calling for urgent drought assistance on Wednesday. Picture: Matt Loxton

He also committed to looking into ensuring rebate advice was delivered sooner and that the government was discussing whether there was further opportunity to increase $2m set aside to support freight charges for charities delivering hay for livestock.

New mental health services were also under consideration following an announcement of more funding for Clare and Port Pirie services in recent weeks, Health Minister Chris Picton told parliament “we know the need is going to increase as the impact” of drought continues across the state.

On the steps of Parliament House on North Terrace, Mid North farmer Andrew Kitto talked about his Gladstone farm’s struggle as wheat crops failed to produce grain, sheep on the property being reduced down to 10 per cent while dams and bores ran dry.

Meanwhile local business trade in the town centre was 50 per cent down in takings.

Opposition Leader Vincent Tarzia talking to the media at Parliament House in Adelaide, after calling for urgent drought assistance on Wednesday. Picture: Matt Loxton

Another farmer and psychologist Steph Schmidt said her family was working “all day, every day around the clock” in Worlds End south east of Burra as the toll of drought took hold.

While Chaffey Liberal MP Tim Whetstone said one local farmer in his Riverland region was being forced to sell livestock as water prices rose and “cattle are smashing new fences to reach roadside vegetation” as on-farm feed disappeared.

Opposition spokesperson for mental health and suicide prevention Penny Pratt called on state government ministers to “get boots on the ground” and speak to farmers where clothes are difficult to wash, gardens are dying and they “are paying to pump water from empty dams”.

Originally published as Emergency meeting over SA farmers drought funding sees Premier Malinauskas open door to new announcement