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30 April, 2025
Riordan joins MPs to call for drought support
THREE south west MPs have joined together to call on the Victorian State Government to urgently provide drought funding similar to the relief provided by the South Australian Government to their farmers, which now totals $73 million.
Members for Polwarth Richard Riordan and South West Coast Roma Britnell have called on the State Government to immediately provide further drought relief in the forthcoming state budget.
They have been joined by Member for Wannon Dan Tehan, who has backed the call for urgent state funding and said an elected Coalition would move to immediately assess the situation and look at what steps are necessary to provide water infrastructure for the long-term future of the region.
“There is an urgent need for assistance in south-west Victoria,” Mr Tehan said.
Ms Britnell said in all her years of farming she has never seen such dry conditions.
“A failed spring followed by a failed autumn is very tough,” she said.
“Not only is feed expensive but it’s becoming scarce, and once again this city centric government have shown that they don’t understand what’s happening in the regions.
“Farmers have never seen such a period of extended dry. Rainfall is at a record low and long-term forecasts do not see relief any time soon.
“Food and fibre production are vital not just to this region’s economy but are also fundamentally important to our nation.”
Mr Riordan said the State Labor Government’s lack of understanding had contributed to their failed approach.
“So poor is the Allan Labor Government's understanding of the plight of our farmers, that all they have done is allocate $5000 grants for water troughs, despite the fact there is no water to put in them,” he said.
“Farmers are having to cart water to their stock, but dams are dry.
“Once again, Labor are ignorant to reality. If there’s no water to put in the troughs, the assistance is obviously useless.
“It’s not new troughs that are needed – it’s rain – and without that, assistance is needed to truck feed and even water in for the animals.”
Ms Britnell said the South Australian Government had made a $73 million commitment to support farmers who border Victoria’s south west, who are equally struggling with this extended dry period.
“The Victorian Labor Government need to show the same understanding as their Labor counterparts in South Australia,” she said.
Mr Tehan said his discussions with farmers right across the south west were demonstrating just how bad the drought is, and urgently called on the state government to provide immediate relief.
“Our farmers need immediate relief and we have to look at using national water grid funding for the long-term water needs of our region,” he said.
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