PREMIER Daniel Andrews will visit the Millewa on Wednesday afternoon with Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes to announce more than $31 million in funding for specific Victorian regions hardest hit by drought.
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The government will establish a $15 million Farmers’ Drought Fund to help farming businesses and families that need it most, alleviating some of the immediate burden while also supporting farmers to make investments in the long term.
The fund will provide household financial relief for families in the Millewa, central and east Gippsland and the Goulburn-Murray Irrigation District (GMID – with $3 million to deliver hardship payments of up to $3000 per family, taking immediate pressure off everyday expenses.
The package also includes $5.2 million in Local Government Service Support Payments, which will be provided to East Gippsland, Wellington and Mildura Shires to help councils meet the immediate needs of their communities.
“This won’t make it rain, but it will help make life just a little bit easier for farming families doing it tough,” Mr Andrews said on Wednesday.
“At the same time, we know it’s not enough to provide immediate hardship payments and consider the job done. It’s why we’re investing in equipment upgrades, new infrastructure and training to help our farmers long-term.”
More to come
