Council
16 May, 2025
Britnell calls for drought relief funds
WITH no rain on the horizon, South West Coast MP Roma Britnell has called on the state government to provide “urgent drought relief funding” to farmers across southwest Victoria.
Farmers across the district are currently facing tough conditions, with the ‘big dry’ placing huge financial burdens on many – with some saying the current conditions are even worse than the 1967 drought.
According to Ms Britnell, Warrnambool has had the lowest rainfall on record for the past 24-month period.
“In all my 25 years of farming I have never seen such dry conditions, which have been exacerbated by a failed spring followed by a failed autumn,” she said.
“Dams are dry and water for livestock is having to be trucked in. Paddocks are bare dirt, while hay supplies are scarce and extremely expensive.
“Farmers are spending all day hand feeding stock that would normally graze. Farmers are exhausted and under enormous stress.”
Conditions continue to worsen on a daily basis, with no rain forecast and the bitter winter about to set in, meaning no grass will grow now until spring.
“The Minister said she had visited, listened and assisted but a visit eight months ago demonstrates a lack of care; conditions have deteriorated significantly since then,” Ms Britnell said.
“The minister’s claim of assistance to farmers, providing them with $5000 co-contribution grants to upgrade farm watering systems and buy grain and fodder storage infrastructure, is an insult because farmers have no money to buy food and water to put in the infrastructure.
“Any spare money is being spent on food or water to keep their farm viable and producing food.”
She said farmers needed government relief to survive the drought and they need it now.
“A drought is a natural disaster, like flood or fire. It needs an emergency response to prevent further damage,” Ms Britnell said.
“The Allan Labor Government is spending billions of dollars in metropolitan Melbourne, while there’s a crisis in southwest Victoria that the government refuses to acknowledge.
“This is proof that the government has no idea about the daily realities that farmers deal with and the minister’s response is lip service.”
Ms Britnell added that her government was being inundated with calls from people who work with farmers (stock agents, fodder providers and truck drivers) who were all concerned about the immense toll that this drought is taking on farmers.
“There is an urgent need for assistance for farmers in southwest Victoria which are at breaking point,” she said.
“Food and fibre production are vital not just to the southwest but also to the Victorian economy.
“Without aid, primary production costs increase, worsening the cost-of-living crisis. The government can prevent the cost of milk and meat from rising if they support our drought-stricken farmers now.”
