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Drought update
2008 |
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National Review into drought policy -
regional meeting details
Critical point in drought policy
The Federal Government has recently kicked
off a number of reviews into drought policy.
These reviews provide industry with an
excellent opportunity to suggest practical,
proactive measures for dealing with climate
variability in the future – fresh thinking,
better ways of assisting producers. It is
vital industry take this opportunity to mold
future government initiatives. For more
information on the drought reviews, visit
www.daff.gov.au
The economic impact panel,
run by the Productivity Commission, will be
in:
Tuesday, July 22
Cunnamulla, Paroo Shire Hall, 10am
Roma AgForce boardroom, 2.30pm
Wednesday, July 23
Biloela Anzac Memorial Club, 9.30am
Kingaroy Town Common Hall, 1.30pm
The social impacts panel,
chaired by AgForce president Peter Kenny,
will be in:
Monday, August 11
Gatton Bowling Club, 9am-12pm
Dalby RSL Club, Anzac Room, 3.30-6.30pm
Tuesday, August 12
Charleville Racecourse Complex, 2-5pm
Wednesday, August 13
Longreach Civic Centre, 9am-12pm
Emerald Town Hall, 3-6pm
For more
information, AgForce members can contact Sue
Dillon on 3236 3100 or Rod Saal on 4699
5524.
Exceptional Circumstances declaration
continues for drought hit areas of
Queensland
The June 13 announcement details:
After approaches by AgForce Queensland to
the Queensland Department of Primary
Industries and Fisheries and from there to the National
Rural Advisory Council (NRAC), the Federal
Government has agreed to extend drought
Exceptional Circumstances to a number of
areas not included in last week’s
announcements.
The June 13 announcement
included parts of the Winton Shire Council
in the former North West Ashy Downs region;
the Lockyer Valley Regional Council, Ipswich
City Council and part of Scenic Rim Regional
Council in the former Southern South East
(Lockyer Valley); and parts of Banana Shire
Council and Gladstone Regional Council in
the former Burnett Addendum region.
AgForce is also continuing to lobby on
behalf of some drought hit producers in
areas adjacent to the Far West EC area.
The June 6 announcement details:
Five full drought Exceptional Circumstances
(EC) regions and one part region have been
renewed until June 15, 2009.
This means producers and small business
operators in the Burnett, Central Darling
Downs, Northern Darling Downs, South West,
Western Downs-Maranoa and part of the North
West Ashy Downs region can continue to apply
for drought assistance including interest
rate subsidies and income support payments.
AgForce will ask the Department of Primary
Industries & Fisheries – which provides
recommendations to the Federal Government –
to seek a modification of the Ashy Downs
area to include south of the highway at
Richmond and also a reconsideration of the
Burnett addendum area.
However, the Federal Government has accepted advice from the
National Rural Advisory Council (NRAC)
NOT to extend assistance to 13 areas
beyond June 15, 2008 because “sustained
recovery has started”. This includes the
Burnett Addendum, Central Coast, Central
Mid-West, Emerald-Bauhinia,
Hinchinbrook-Thuringowa, Mackay-Whitsunday,
Peak Downs, Southern Darling Downs, Southern
Murweh, Stanthorpe-Inglewood, Southern South-East and Sunshine
Coast areas and parts of the North-West Ashy
Downs.
The extensions means the five areas and one
part area are covered by EC until June 15,
2009, putting them in line for renewal with
the Duaringa-Bauhinia, Far West, Mt Morgan
and Waggamba regions which still have
another year to run.
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More
information:
State
map of current EC declared areas
(pre June 15)
AgForce
president Peter Kenny's release on the
June 6 announcement
Federal
Agriculture Minister Tony Burke's release
from June 6, 2008
The National Review of Drought Policy
Please note the
list of maps below includes all areas -
those to be renewed, and those not to be
renewed. Please refer to the above
information.
These areas
still have another year of EC to run before
they are reviewed (until June 15, 2009):
Click here for a pdf of DPI&F and
RFCS farm financial and rural counsellors in
Queensland.
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Latest state
drought notices:
DRAS
reminder for producers
Queensland
primary producers
could be losing valuable subsidies
when moving livestock home from
agistment properties
if they don’t comply
with Drought Relief Assistance Scheme
(DRAS)
guidelines.
The
Manager of Rural Risk Strategies Unit
with the Department of
Primary Industries and Fisheries,
Ros Moloney,
said
compliance
was
particularly
important for producers
claiming freight rebates.
“Freight is a significant component of
the cost of agistment and we want to
avoid having any Queensland producers
missing out on their entitlements,”
Ms Moloney
said.
Producers who have enough confidence in
the season should apply to revoke their
property from drought declaration prior
to returning stock home if they wish to
claim through DRAS, she said.
“The guidelines allow for stock to be
returned home without penalty where the
agistment has genuinely ceased, but
there are processes that should be
followed.
“If stock are returned to a drought
declared property,
however,
an automatic suspension
is applied on all subsidy entitlements
and the movement may not be eligible for
freight subsidy,” said Ms Moloney.
Despite good summer rainfall in parts of
Queensland and the revocation of the
drought status of a number of areas,
more than 50 per cent of the land area
of Queensland remains drought declared
under State processes.
For more information, contact your local
DPI&F office or the
department’s Business Information Centre
on 13 25 23, or visit
www.dpi.qld.gov.au.
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Contact
AgForce Drought Co-ordinator Rod Saal on 4699
5524 for more information. |
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