Minister for Agriculture, Tony Burke announced on Tuesday that the Federal Government had accepted the National Rural Advisory Council’s (NRAC) advice to extend drought assistance for drought-declared areas including Young.

Until the announcement, Young was one of 32 Exceptional Circumstances (EC) declared areas due to lose drought assistance from the end of September, now extended for a further six months until March 31.

The NRAC review did find however that seasonal conditions in the Armidale, Casino, South Coast-Moss Vale areas in NSW and the Central and East Gippsland areas in Victoria had improved and a sustainable recovery was commencing justifying the winding up of assistance in those regions.

“The fact that drought assistance has been extended in 32 areas shows that farmers continue to struggle with the drought in many parts of the country, despite recent rainfall in certain areas,” Mr Burke said.

As areas do come out of EC declaration, farmers and small businesses will be able to apply for assistance under the new Transitional Income Support Program established this year.

“This program is helping farmers with daily living expenses such as keeping food on the table,” Mr Burke said. “Before this program, farmers coming off EC may not have had access to any other short term welfare funding.”