Goulburn MP Pru Goward has called for an urgent review of on-farm water storage and environmental flow policies.
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Despite the government committing more than $1 billion to assistance, in an address to parliament on Wednesday Ms Goward argued the State needed to consider the risk of drought continuing into spring and summer.
“That would be a disaster for Australia's food industry, its exports, domestic consumers, farmers and all of us,” she said.
“One of Australia's top three export earners would be decimated – watch the Aussie dollar drop.
“There is no doubt that the economic and social consequences for all of us are grave indeed. Agriculture is one of our State's biggest wealth generators. It keeps regional NSW alive and city dwellers – rich and poor - will feel the pinch.”
Ms Goward said the flow-on effects were starting to bite with stock feed businesses slowing down, less work for farm contractors and businesses in rural towns.
“With an unprecedented drought comes the need for unprecedented thinking.
“We must begin to investigate whether to immediately access environmental water flows for fodder crop production [..] to keep breeding herds alive. This needs to happen immediately. It will be too late in six weeks’ time if we have had no rain.”
Ms Goward says without rain NSW’s breeding herds and flocks will be lost.
She says that the current assistance offered such as mental health support and fee waivers “will not mean much to farmers who walk off their land”.
“The solution will not be more fodder transport subsidies because there will be neither the fodder to transport nor the stock to feed,” she said.
“The answer is secure and reliable water for stock and crop production.”
Referring to the current NSW dams policy, Ms Goward said this was a change needed to future-proof the Southern Tablelands.
“I […] acknowledge it will not save us in six weeks' time if the spring rains fail,” Ms Goward said.
“To wait until the end of October to act will be too late for all of us.”
The MP’s comments follow district grazier Ian McLennan’s call last week for water policy to be freed up to allow farmers to dam third-order streams. Mr McLennan said if this was done, there would be no need for fodder and other drought subsidies.