Wagga will host a consultation on future drought relief spending this month as debate continues over whether the government should assist some farmers to leave the land.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Future Drought Fund Consultative Committee will visit Wagga on November 20 to hear feedback from the agriculture industry and community groups.
NSW Farmers Wagga district branch chairman Alan Brown encouraged Riverina residents to attend.
He said NSW Farmers wanted to make sure that $100 million yearly dividends from a $7 billion drought fund were "used wisely and sensibly to create the best possible outcomes for farmers".
"In some cases the best outcome is an exit strategy," Mr Brown said.
"But, in general, it's about making sure people can access assistance when it becomes so severe that it's beyond their means to cope with the drought."
The concept of the government assisting farmers to leave properties that were no longer viable due to drought conditions has sparked fierce debate.
Former federal agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce last month said a government cash payment "just isn't going to make a difference" for some drought-stricken farms.
Opposition agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon has said Mr Joyce's comments were "offensive".
Mr Brown said he "very much" anticipated that exit strategies would be discussed at the Wagga meeting but they probably wouldn't be the main focus.
"Primarily what we want to see are measures to make farmers more resilient and that could be things like fodder storage, better means of putting away in the good times for when times get tough," he said.
"There's more that can be done with ensuring farmers have the ability to improve the scale of their operations; one of the problems is that small-scale farmers tend to be the first cab off the rank when it comes to needing assistance."
READ MORE:
The meeting will run from 10am to 12pm at the Rules Club, corner of Fernleigh and Glenfield roads in Glenfield Park.
Riverina MP and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack urged farmers and community groups to attend the meeting.
"While we are also addressing challenges in the here and now, we need to look to the future so we can take the necessary steps to be better prepared for future droughts," he said.
"We can do this without compromising on tackling immediate issues."
Online submissions to the drought fund committee can also be made at https://haveyoursay.agriculture.gov.au/future-drought-fund until December 13.