SA farmers joined the opposition on the steps of Parliament House in Adelaide to petition the government for more drought support.
It follows an emergency management council meeting held on Wednesday morning which focused on the dry conditions.
What’s next?
The state government says it is exploring what other support it can provide farmers and it stands ready to act.
South Australian farmers pushed to the brink by drought have joined the state opposition on the steps of Parliament House calling for more government action.
About 20 primary producers travelled from around the state to hear from Premier Peter Malinauskas during question time, as they grapple with record low rainfalls and water shortages.
Mid North farmer Andrew Kitto said farmers were desperate for assistance and wanted acknowledgement from the government “that this drought is happening”.
“It is really serious because water is running out, in the last three weeks bores have run dry; the dams are dry.
“The infrastructure to get the water out from the mains, for those lucky enough to have water coming from the [River] Murray, is falling apart.”
Andrew Kitto says farmers need to be looked after. (ABC News: Justin Hewitson)
More help on the way
Worlds End farmer and qualified psychologist, Steph Schmidt, said the government had not heard calls for help from farmers during a ridiculously hard time.
“When we hit these years that are so gut-wrenchingly hard, without any validation and recognition from the government, it takes its ongoing toll,” Ms Schmidt said.
“We need the foundations there so that when we start cracking, we’ve got someone to catch us.”
Steph Schmidt says drought is taking a toll on farmers. (ABC News: Justin Hewitson)
Premier Peter Malinauskas said his government was concerned about the implications of drought on the state’s agricultural and livestock sector.
He convened an emergency management council committee meeting on Wednesday morning which focused on the drought and water security.
“As a government, we have responded to that,” Mr Malinauskas told parliament.
He said that included an $18 million support package at the end of last year.
“We stand ready to do that again,” he said.
“If we can do that in a way that is expedited, in advance of the budget, but in the context of the budget, then we’ll obviously grab that opportunity.”
Peter Malinauskas says his government is ready to provide more relief to farmers. (ABC News: Carl Saville)
Relying on the river
The opposition is also petitioning the government to make unused Murray-Darling Basin water allocations available for farmers by redirecting flows into regional reservoirs.
Liberal party water spokesperson Nicola Centofanti said it could be a possibility for relief as the Lonsdale desalination plant supplied Adelaide with unrestricted water.
Nicola Centofanti is calling for unused water allocations to be used for drought relief. (ABC News: Brant Cumming)
“We’re really calling on the government to make available any unused water allocation, subject to a sensible reserve for carryover … for our farmers,” Ms Centofanti said.
“A number of other reservoirs in our regions, many of which are connected to the Murray through various pipelines, could be utilised by farmers to ensure their tanks and troughs remain full.”
Water minister Susan Close said the government had ensured irrigators reliant on the Murray for water had maintained their allocations despite the dry conditions.
Susan Close says any plans to redirect water allocations need to be considered carefully. (ABC News: Carl Saville)
“Before any … suggestions could be progressed practically, we would need to carefully consider the implications for Adelaide’s water security in dry years,” Ms Close said.
“As well as the implications for how water is shared between Adelaide and Riverland irrigators in extreme dry years.”
Renmark Irrigation Trust chief executive officer Rosalie Auricht said the current water allocation plan should be followed.
“South Australia’s processes are well placed to manage water scarcity,” Ms Auricht said.
“In addition, deferring South Australia’s water entitlement is important to ensure water is held in storage for future years.”
You can now read the most important #news on #eDairyNews #Whatsapp channels!!!
🇺🇸 eDairy News INGLÊS: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaKsjzGDTkJyIN6hcP1K
