David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Nicholls for his question because he sees firsthand on a daily basis the impact this drought is having on his constituents—not just farmers but small businesses that support these communities. That is why he understands the historic nature of the Future Drought Fund that we passed last week. This is, for the first time in our nation's history, a drought centrepiece, a $3.9 billion fund climbing to $5 billion and giving a $100 million dividend year in, year out.

Mr Brian Mitchell interjecting—

David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is in addition to the $2 billion worth of measures that this government has put in place around the farm household allowance, mental health, rural financial counsellors and, importantly, the community drought program: $1 million to the 110 shires out there to help support them to procure local materials and tradies to do projects that give the community some economic benefits. This is a stimulus to keep these communities moving. Also, the on-farm water infrastructure will be $50 million to help preparedness into the future for our farmers by investing in desilting dams while they are dry. I have asked the Prime Minister, who has approved, to extend this not just for livestock producers but now to permanent plantings in horticulture, a common-sense approach to make sure we are delivering.

The $100 million will be delivered on 1 July next year, and we are putting probity around that to make sure that we are consulting with those who own this money—the Australian public—and, more importantly, those communities out there, about a way to give them real benefits in climate risk, in extension work and also in leadership. This is about engaging with the community, who deserve this money, to build for the future.

The consultation group will have a wide range of skills that will be able to make sure that the 42-day legislative consultation period gets real outcomes back to this parliament in order to give integrity to this $100 million a year. This is not something that has been appropriated, as the Labor Party wanted to do. It is to make sure that it is there and can only be changed by legislation; it cannot be taken away by the whim of a Treasurer. It is legislated because we took the hard track, despite the setback that we got in October last year by those opposite not supporting it, not standing with us, not standing with Australian farming families or with Australian communities. It took a federal election for those opposite to not only listen to the Australian people but, more importantly, listen to Australian farming families and communities that this government from the very start of this drought was going to stand shoulder to shoulder with them. We were going to support them and their communities and that is why this fund will go to the longevity of regional and rural Australia, and we will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Australian farming families and communities into the future.