More than fifty people took advantage of the Federal Government’s drought outreach events held in Eudunda and Freeling last week.
Assistant Director of the Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities’ Drought Taskforce, Ms Dale Sheridan said that while she recognised it can often be difficult for drought affected farmers and businesses to be seen as asking for help, the response from those who did attend was positive.
“Many farmers have left these events with a range of support and information that they otherwise didn’t know about or think they were eligible for,” she said.
Light Regional Council Mayor Bill O’Brien attended the Freeling event, held at the FARM Centre, in a show of support from Local Government.
“We really appreciate the Federal Government in acknowledging the fact that we would like a hand up over this difficult period, certainly for farmers,” Mr O’Brien said.
“It has affected them, and then that affects the main street and the shops and everything else.”
A range of government agencies and organisations were represented at the events, including Centrelink, PIRSA, Natural Resources SA, the ATO, Rural Business Support and NBN Co.
Ms Sheridan acknowledges that for some, sparing the time to attend the outreach events may have been impossible due to work needing to be done out in the fields, but that should not deter people from exploring the resources that are available to them.
“Even if you are unsure about your eligibility, I would encourage people to reach out to government agencies to have the discussion, as there are many new programmes and eligibility criteria has changed over time,” she said.
More information about the range of support is available at the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources website, or by phoning the 24-hour drought hotline on 1800 255 556.