Disaster-stricken farmers will be able to access free financial counselling, as the prime minister warns of more extreme weather events.
The federal government will commit an extra $2 million to the Rural Financial Counselling Service to allow them to hire more staff and deliver increased support to farmers on the ground.
While some in south-eastern Australia are battling historic droughts, those in NSW have been forced to contend with ‘one-in-500 year’ floods, putting significant strain on farmers across the country.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese acknowledged they were “doing it tough”.
“People put their heart and soul into their farms,” he told reporters near Wasleys, north of Adelaide, on Monday.
“Australia has always had droughts, we’ve always had flooding rains, and that has occurred throughout our history on this great continent that we’re privileged to live on, but the truth is that there are more extreme weather events and they’re more intense.
“We need to adjust to that.”
The government has already promised $36 million to help farmers and producers prepare for, and respond to, drought conditions while expanding its disaster recovery allowance to more areas affected by floods.
But Nationals Leader David Littleproud has called on Labor to bring back interest-free loans from the Regional Investment Corporation to help farmers experiencing hardship.
The commitment, introduced by the coalition in 2020 according to Mr Littleproud, gave farmers access to a $2 million loan with an initial two-year interest-free period, then three years interest-only before five years principal and interest, offering breathing space and allowed them to restock and replant.
Some members of his party have urged Australia to abandon its pursuit of net zero emissions by 2050.
Mr Albanese said the science was clear about the increased frequency and ferocity of natural disasters.
“Climate change is real and we need to respond to it,” he said.
“The science has been proven, unfortunately, to be playing out.”
Unusual weather has also continued to transform the east coast, with heavy fog and dust storms both blanketing Sydney in the span of one week.
The prime minister maintained his government had a plan to deal with climate change, noting Australia’s bid to co-host the United Nations’s climate change conference with Pacific nations in 2026.
Australia also remains on-track to meet its legislated 43 per cent emissions reduction target by 2030, according to Energy Minister Chris Bowen.
But Labor has recently come under fire from environmental groups for giving gas giant Woodside the green light for its North West Shelf project to continue operating to 2070 as it could release 4.3 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions over 50 years, the Australia Institute has found.
Mr Bowen has said Woodside will be required to ensure the project meets net zero emissions by 2050.
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