
KAP have supported more drought-related on-farm water infrastructure assistance and have commented on the need to investigate solar energy generation initiatives to allow farming businesses to operate off-the-grid. They support the fodder freight subsidies. KAP are committed to establish a rural bank to help farmers in times of drought and other hardship.
The LNP support keeping the Drought Rural Assistance Scheme (DRAS) and will work with industry to reform drought support measures available to farmers and their affected communities.
ONP believe that our politicians are ignoring farmers in times of drought. However, this view is not yet supported by any firm policy commitments.
In working with AgForce, the ALP are broadly in favour of AgForce’s Ag Business Cycle and have maintained support levels in this drought; however their hardline commitment to implement almost all the recommendations from the Burke and Wade review, which includes abolition of fodder transport subsidies without promising a suitable replacement is a negative.