12 February 2009
DAFF09/196B

The Rudd Government has accepted independent advice to extend drought assistance for dozens of Exceptional Circumstances declared areas across Australia.

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Tony Burke said the National Rural Advisory Council (NRAC) had recently reviewed seasonal conditions in 52 Exceptional Circumstances (EC) declarations due to expire on 31 March 2009 and one due to expire on 30 April 2009.

These include seven which have since been affected by the Victorian bushfires. Assistance has been extended in all Victorian EC-declared areas, including the seven bushfire-affected areas.

“The Rudd Government recognises that the drought continues to place extraordinary pressure on many farming families across Australia,” Mr Burke said.

“We will continue to consult with farming and rural community groups on the national review of drought policy, but that is about better preparing farmers for future challenges.

“I again repeat the Government’s guarantee that the rules will not change for anyone currently receiving Exceptional Circumstances support during this drought.”

The Government has accepted the NRAC’s advice to extend EC assistance in the following areas:

NSW
Extended to 15 June 2009

• Central North North-West Northern New England Revision area (including towns of Ashford, Bonshaw, Cherry Tree Hill, Emmaville, Oakwood and Tent Hill)
• Northern Tablelands Small Areas Revised area – assistance to continue for producers north of a revised boundary running from the Tingha Road to its junction with the Moredon Road, along the Maybole Road to Grahams Valley Road, joining the New England Highway (including towns of Elsmore, Matheson, Sapphire, Stannifer, Tingha and Wellingrove)

Extended to 31 March 2010

• Braidwood area (including towns of Araluen, Boro, Braidwood, Bungendore, Captains Flat, Gundaroo, Hoskinstown, Majors Creek, Reidsdale and Sutton)
• Condobolin area (including towns of Albert, Condobolin, Derriwong, Fifield and Tottenham)
• Condobolin-Narrandera area (including towns of Burcher, Lake Cargelligo, Naradhan, Rankins Springs, Ungarie and West Wyalong)
• Forbes area (including towns of Bedgerebong, Bogan Gate, Bumbaldry, Caragabal, Forbes, Greenethorpe, Grenfell, Nelungaloo, Parkes, Trundle and Yarrabandai)
• Goulburn-Yass area (including towns of Crookwell, Goulburn and Yass)
• Gundagai area (including towns of Adelong, Batlow, Brungle, Cabramurra, Coolac, Gilmore, Gocup, Gundagai, Mount Horeb, Tumblong, Tumut and Yarrangobilly)
• Hay area (including towns of Booligal, Carrathool, Goolgowi, Hay, Hillston and Maude)
• Hume area (including towns of Carabost, Holbrook, Khancoban, Mannus, Rosewood, Tooma and Tumbarumba)
• Majority Western Division area (including towns of Balranald, Broken Hill, Cobar,  Ivanhoe, Menindee, Tibooburra, Wentworth and Wilcannia)
• Riverina area (including towns of Barham, Corowa, Deniliquin, Finley, Jerilderie, Oaklands, Tocumwal, Wakool and Wanganella)
• South West Slopes and Plains area (including towns of Coolamon, Cootamundra, Culcairn, Griffith, Junee, Leeton, Narrandera, Temora, The Rock and Wagga Wagga)
• Young area (including towns of Barmedman, Boorowa, Harden, Murrumburrah and Young)
• Dubbo Revised area - assistance to continue for producers south of the Mitchell Highway and west of the Newell Highway (including towns of Cathundral, Dubbo, Fairview, Myall, Narromine, Trangie and Wyanga)
• Molong Revised area – assistance to continue for producers west of the Newell Highway (including towns of Alectown, Mickibri, Peak Hill, Trewilga and Yethera)
• Nyngan Revised area – assistance to continue for producers west of the Bogan River and south of the Mitchell Highway (including towns of Bobadah, Buddabadah, Girilambone, Hermidale, Mullengudgery, Nyngan and Warrigal)

Extended to 30 April 2010

• Cooma-Bombala-ACT area (including towns of Adaminaby, Bombala, Canberra, Cooma, Delegate and Nimmitabel)

SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Extended to 31 March 2010

• Central and Eastern Mount Lofty area (including towns of Balhannah, Birdwood, Gumeracha, Lobethal, Nairne, Oakbank, Summertown, Uraidla and Woodside)
• Central Eyre Peninsula area (including towns of Cleve, Cowell, Elliston, Kimba, Lock and Wudinna)
• Clare, Light and Barossa area (including towns of Auburn, Clare, Freeling Greenock,  Kapunda, Mount Pleasant, Riverton, Tanunda and Williamstown)
• Fleurieu Peninsula area (including towns of Carrickalinga, Meadows, Mount Barker, Mount Compass, Normanville, Port Elliot, Strathalbyn and Victor Harbour)
• Kangaroo Island area (including towns of American River, Kingscote, Parndana and Penneshaw)
• Lower Eyre Peninsula area (including towns of Coffin Bay, Coulta, Edillilie, Port Lincoln, Tumby Bay, Warrow and Yeelanna)
• Mid-North area (including towns of Balaklava, Broughton, Crystal Brook, Gladstone, Jamestown, Port Pirie, Spalding)
• Murray-Mallee area (including towns of Alawoona, Karoonda, Lameroo, Peebinga, Pinnaroo)
• River Murray and Lower Lakes Corridor area (including towns of Berri, Loxton, Mannum, Meningie, Morgan, Murray Bridge, Renmark and Swan Reach)
• Upper North District including Annex area (including towns of Appila, Bruce, Eurelia, Hammond, Orroroo, Peterborough, Quorn and Walloway)
• Upper South East area (including towns of Bordertown, Keith, Naracoorte, Padthaway, Tintinara)
• Western Eyre Peninsula area (including towns of Bookabie, Ceduna, Coorabie, Streaky Bay, Wirrulla)
• Yorke Peninsula area (including towns of Ardrossan, Maitland, Minlaton, Port Vincent, Price, Warooka, Weaver, Wool Bay and Yorketown)

VICTORIA
Extended to 31 March 2010

• Northern Victoria Revised area (including towns of Cobram, Echuca, Kerang, Lockington, Rochester, Rushworth, Shepparton, Stanhope, Tatura and Yarrawonga)
• Central Victoria North Revised area (including towns of Bendigo and Redesdale)
• Central Victoria South Revised area (including Kinglake West and Morang)
• Mallee-Northern Wimmera Revised area (includes the town of Pimpinio)
• North-East Victoria area (includes towns of Kinglake, Murrindindi, Kilmore, Clonbinane, Yea, Buxton, Wandong)
• South Western Victoria area (includes the town of Coleraine and Grampians region)

Extended to 30 April 2010

• Central and East Gippsland area (includes towns of Heyfield, Bairnsdale, Stratford, Maffra and Orbost)
• South and West Gippsland area (includes towns of Healesville, Labertouche, Jindivick, Erica, Noojee, Warburton, Maroondah, Warragul, Drouin, Yarra Glen)

TASMANIA
Extended to 31 April 2010

• Flinders Island area (formerly North East and Flinders Island) – assistance to continue for producers within a revised boundary of only Flinders Island area (including the towns of Emita, Lady Barron, Leeka, Palana and Whitemark) but assistance to cease for producers on Cape Barren Island and Clarke Island and the North East
• Central Midlands area (including towns of Bothwell, Campbell Town, Cleveland,  Fingal, Hamilton, Oatlands, Orford, Ouse, Pontville, Richmond, Ross, Sorell, Swansea and Tunbridge)

WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Extended to 15 June 2009

• Southern Rangelands Revised area – assistance to continue for producers in the southern part, including buffer zone (including towns of Balladonia, Cocklebiddy, Coolgardie, Kambalda, Kookynie, Madura, Norseman and Rawlinna)

 

The Government has accepted the NRAC’s advice that conditions have improved and EC assistance should not be extended in the following areas:

NSW
Assistance will not be extended past 31 March 2009

• Central Mudgee-Merriwa area (including the towns of Home Rule, Lue and Mudgee)
• Central North North-West Coonamble Revision area (including the towns of Armatree and Pine Clump)
• Central Tablelands area (including the towns of Bathurst, Blayney, Cowra, Lithgow and Oberon)
• Hunter Maitland area (including the towns of Cessnock, Denman, Dungog, Maitland, Muswellbrook and Singleton)
• Mudgee-Merriwa area (including the towns of Craboon, Ginghi, Hargraves, Kandos, Pyramul, Uarbry, Vulcan and Wollar)
• North-East Northern New England Revised area (including the towns of Drake and (north) Tenterfield)
• Northern New England area (including the towns of Bolivia, Dundee, Ebor, Glen Elgin, (south) Tenterfield and Wards Mistake)
• Walgett-Coonamble area (including the towns of Carinda, Collarenebri, Coonamble, Lightning Ridge, Pilliga and Walgett)

SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Assistance will not be extended past 31 March 2009

• Lower South East area (including the towns of Millicent, Mount Gambier, Penola and Robe)

WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Assistance will not be extended past 31 March 2009

• North Eastern Wheatbelt area (including the towns of Canna, Morawa, Mullewa and Pindar)
• Northern Wheatbelt area (including the towns of Geraldton, Koorda, Merredin, Mingenew, Northampton, Southern Cross and Three Springs)