The Government has accepted independent advice on whether to continue Exceptional Circumstances assistance in 19 areas in NSW, the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia which were due to expire on 15 June 2009.
Under the existing system, the National Rural Advisory Council (NRAC) reviews areas which are due to expire, to assess whether assistance should be extended.
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Tony Burke said the NRAC had recommended assistance should be extended in some areas and should lapse in others.
The NRAC found conditions had not improved for two areas in South Australia and one in Queensland and recommended Exceptional Circumstances (EC) assistance should be extended in:
- Far West Queensland area (including the towns of Boulia and Middleton)
- Central North East area (including the towns of Lyndhurst, Leigh Creek, Beltana, Hawker and Yunta)
- North West Rangelands area (including the towns of Oodnadatta, Coober Pedy, Tarcoola and Woomera)
The NRAC also found some areas had variable conditions, with some parts still affected by drought while recovery had begun in other parts. It recommended EC assistance should be extended within the following parts of existing areas:
- South-West Queensland Revised area (continuing part includes the towns of Quilpie, Thargomindah, Windorah)
- Western Downs – Maranoa Revised area (continuing part includes the towns of Wandoan, Guluguba, Glenmorgan and Meandarra)
- Central Darling Downs Revised area (continuing part includes the town of Tara)
- Northern Darling Downs Revised area (continuing part includes the towns of Miles, Chinchilla and Condamine)
**For more specific details on these above areas, please see the addendum.
For the remaining parts of South-West Queensland; Western Downs-Maranoa; Central Darling Downs and Northern Darling Downs, the NRAC found seasonal conditions had improved and recommended that assistance should cease. This includes the following parts:
- South-West Queensland area (western and eastern parts including the towns of Bedourie and Birdsville)
- Western Downs – Maranoa area (northern and southern parts including the towns of Mitchell, Roma, Yuleba, Talwood and Thallon)
- Central Darling Downs area (south-eastern part including the towns of Cecil Plains, Millmerran, Pittsworth and Oakey)
- Northern Darling Downs area (eastern part includes the towns of Jandowae, Bell and Goombungee)
The NRAC also found many producers in the following areas had begun to recover and recommended EC assistance should not be extended in:
- Burnett area (includes the towns of Mount Perry, Gin Gin, Childers, Gayndah, Wondai, Kingaroy, Yarraman, Crows Nest and Esk)
- Burnett Addendum Revised area (includes the towns of Dululu, Bracewell, Nagoorin, Calliope)
- Duaringa – Bauhinia area (includes the town of Woorabinda)
- Mount Morgan area (includes the town of Mount Morgan)
- North West Ashy Downs Second Revision area
- Southern South East revised area (includes the towns of Murphy’s Creek, Grantham, Gatton, Forest Hill, Rosewood, Walloon, Townson and Ipswich City Council)
- Waggamba area (includes the town of Kurumbul)
- Bourke area – formerly Bourke and Brewarrina area (includes the towns of Enngonia, Fords Bridge, Bourke, Louth and Byrock)
- Central North North-West Northern New England Revision area (includes the towns of Ashford, Bukkulla, Emmaville, Tent Hill, Stannum)
- Northern Tablelands Small Areas Revised area (includes the towns of Wellingrove, Sapphire, Kingsland, Stannifer and Maybole)
- South-East Alice Springs area (includes the towns of Alice Springs and Finke)
- Southern Rangelands Revised area (includes the towns of Broad Arrow, Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Kambalda, Norseman, Coonana)
Last year, the Rudd Government established the Transitional Income Support system to help the most needy producers in areas moving out of drought who are still experiencing financial difficulty.
The program helps the most needy producers in these areas with basic living costs, such as keeping food on the table.
Mr Burke said the Government recognised the current drought support system was not working for farmers and details of its reforms would be released later in the year.
“The system of lines on a map means that one farmer may be eligible while their neighbour on the other side of the fence is not,” Mr Burke said.
Addendum
- South-West Queensland Revised area (continuing part includes the towns of Quilpie, Thargomindah, Windorah)
The revised area is specifically the area west of the Mitchell Highway in Paroo Shire, the shires of Bulloo, Quilpie and Barcoo and the southern portion of the Longreach Regional Council from the Barcoo shire boundary along the Bimerah-Isisford Road, then the Four Corners-Glenloch Road to the Thirty Mile-Wahroongha Road, which is followed south to the Emmet Road, then followed to Emmet and then to the Yaraka-Blackall Road to the Blackall Tambo Regional Council boundary.
- Western Downs – Maranoa Revised area (continuing part includes the towns of Wandoan, Guluguba, Glenmorgan and Meandarra)
The revised area is bounded by the boundary east along the Balonne and Moonie Highways from the Paroo Shire boundary to 150E longitude, which is followed north to the northern boundary of the former Murilla Shire, which is followed north-east to the Dalby Regional Council Boundary, which is followed west and south to the Pine Hills Road which is followed south to the Wallumbilla North Road, which is also followed south to Wallumbilla. The Warrego Highway is followed west to the Murweh Shire boundary, which is then followed south to the Paroo Shire boundary which is followed south to the Ballonne Highway.
- Central Darling Downs Revised area (continuing part includes the town of Tara)
The revised area is the former Tara Shire east of 150E longitude and north of the Moonie Highway and the former Wambo Shire west of Kumbarilla Lane.
- Northern Darling Downs Revised area (continuing part includes the towns of Miles, Chinchilla and Condamine)
The revised area is the former Murilla Shire east of 150E longitude; the former Chinchilla Shire west of the the Jandowae Durah Road and Nolans Road; an area of the former Wambo Shire east of the Warra Conaga Creek Road, north of the Chinchilla Wondai Road and west the Jandowae Durah Road.