Third of NSW plunged into drought-like conditions as fears grow over dry summer

Questions have been raised over what measures the state government has in place to deal with forecasts of a bone-dry summer after a third of the state spiralled into drought-like conditions in six months.

Almost a third of NSW has been plunged into drought-like conditions since March, with questions raised over what measures the state government has in place to deal with forecasts of a bone-dry summer.

In just over six months 32.5 per cent of the state has been deemed either drought-affected, in drought or in intense drought, according to the NSW Government‘s drought indicator.

In March the entire state was deemed not to be in drought, while just two months ago only strips of the Hunter region and north coast were designated as suffering from drought.

That designation now covers all of coastal NSW stretching from the Victorian to Queensland borders, as well as most of the state’s northwest and northern tablelands.

The Bureau of Meteorology last week released data showing this September was Australia’s driest since records began in 1900, with total rainfall 70.8 per cent below the average for September between 1961-1990.

Farmer Peter Campbell with his son Nicholas on their property outside Merriwa in north west NSW. They are currently experiencing drought conditions with no decent rain for months. Picture: Richard Dobson

Peter Campbell, whose family farm near Merriwa in the Hunter includes cattle, sheep and cropping operations, spent more than $250,000 on extra feed in the last major drought, from 2017-2019, to keep his livestock alive.

He fears another costly summer and queried whether the state government was prepared for the coming months.

“The rain pretty much stopped this time last year – we've had about 10 inches of rain for the year which is less than half of the normal rainfall,” he said.

“We‘ve had a tough winter and we’re staring down the barrel of a tough summer too.”

“I don’t think the government’s ready – I don’t think they’re really on top of the gravity of the problem. The crap will hit the fan over this summer.”

Nationals leader Dugald Saunders called for more clarity over what support there’d be for farmers heading into summer.

Ron, Lucy, Thomas, Campbell, Bella and Peter Campbell. Picture: Richard Dobson

“It went from floods smack bang into the tap being turned off (for rainfall),” he said.

“Farmers are not asking for a handout – they want certainty the government understands what drought means, and that we’ve got a government prepared to stand up and say ‘we’ve got your back’”.

NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin implored the government to outline their plans for drought, saying “uncertainty is not a good thing for business or people’s stress levels, and it would be prudent for the state government to outline what it will or won’t be able to do in the coming months, because people are already making assumptions”.

The NSW Government’s drought indicator as of October.

A spokesman for agricultural Minister Tara Moriarty said “the NSW Government has a co-ordinated drought action plan” and was examining further measures in the wake of El Nino being declared last month.

He added the NSW Government currently has multiple schemes like the Farm Business Resilience Program and the Rural Financial Counselling Service which provide advice on drought-proofing, while Local Land Services since July have held 95 drought preparedness events to 1980 people, 406 on-farm one-on-one specialist advice visits, and provided advice to 890 landholders via phone calls and visits.

A spokeswoman for the Bureau of Meteorology warned dry conditions are set to stay.

“The bureau’s long-range forecast is currently forecasting for there to be reduced rainfall and warmer daytime temperatures, as well as increased risk of extreme heat,” she said, adding “a drier and warmer summer” was on the way.