The NSW Nationals are calling for urgent funding to help primary producers recover from the devastation caused by Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
A joint funding package was announced today by the Albanese and Minns Labor Governments to provide grants to individuals and families, but it does not include any assistance for farmers.
NSW Nationals Leader Dugald Saunders said while any support is welcome, it’s disappointing some of the most impacted have been left behind.
“The state’s agriculture sector supports thousands of jobs and quite literally feeds NSW. Our farmers are there for us each and every day, and now Labor needs to support them through this difficult time so they can get back on their feet,” Mr Saunders said.
Shadow Minister for Emergency Services Gurmesh Singh said we know it could take quite some time to repair the devastation this natural disaster has caused, not only to homes, but also to businesses and supply chains.
“The government needs to make small farm recovery grants available to help primary producers repair fences, replant crops, dispose of flood debris, and invest in flood-resilient infrastructure moving forward,” Mr Singh said.
Shadow Minister for Flood Recovery and Member for Tweed Geoff Provest said the Tweed community has faced days of rolling power outages.
“The payment announced today is a start, but those who have lost hundreds of dollars’ worth of food and supplies will need more help, plus it again leaves farmers to fend for themselves which just isn’t good enough,” Mr Provest said.
Nationals Member for Clarence Richie Williamson said in his electorate alone, the fishing industry is still trying to recover from white spot, soybean crops have been damaged, and the sugar cane, beef, dairy, and forestry sectors are also struggling.
“There is no doubt the cyclone has created a massive clean-up effort in our coastal communities, but our rural areas especially those outside river levee systems have been severely impacted and completely overlooked. The Premier can’t shy away from the reality of this, he needs to step up,” Mr Williamson said.
Nationals Member for Oxley Michael Kemp said the cyclone has left every rural sector reeling.
“Farmers are facing uncertainty after they had to transport stock and find alternative places to house or sell them, on top of organising fodder and dealing with damage to infrastructure, lost crops and lost production costs. It has come at an enormous cost, and they need immediate support.”
