About 75 per cent of Australia's agricultural land is covered under the Federal Government's December 9 additional drought relief package and approximately 20 per cent of productive land subject to Exceptional Circumstances (EC) declarations, Federal Agriculture Minister Warren Truss said today.

"With so much of the country now covered by Federal drought relief measures, it is not surprising that the number of farmers receiving assistance continues to rise rapidly," Mr Truss said.

"There are now more than 7,000 farm families in receipt of interim assistance or full EC, with more than $70 million already outlayed by the Federal Government in the course of the current drought.

"In just 19 working days to 14 March, Centrelink processed more than 2,000 applications to allow those farm families to receive meaningful assistance. An extra $10 million in drought relief payments have been made to farmers in that period."

 

State	Farm families receiving Interim supportto 14 Mar 03	Interim income support	Farm families receiving EC supportto 28 Feb 03	EC expenditure
NSW	2,609	$6,608,000	528	$1,398,000
QLD	555	$3,898,000	1164	$29,170,000
VIC	1,688	$6,363,000	377	$2,939,000
TAS#	-	-	Declaration finished in November 2002	$1,070,000
SA	47	$159,000	0	0
WA	156	$378,000	204	$18,950,000
NT	3	$8,000	0	0
Total	5,058	$17,414,000	2,273	$53,527,000

#TAS has no current eligible areas.

Interim Income Support figures include both Interim Income Support (for Prima Facie Exceptional Circumstances regions) and the Additional Drought Assistance Income Support (Columns 2 and 3). These are total figures, current as at 14 March 2003 and are taken from the start date of the programs.

Exceptional Circumstances recipient figures (Column 4) are based on numbers of farmers receiving income support (ECRP) as at 28 February 2003, while expenditure (Column 5) includes Centrelink payments and business support payments (Interest Rate Subsidies) provided through Rural Adjustment Authorities for the period 1 July 2001 to 28 February 2003.

Further media inquiries:

Minister Truss' office: Tim Langmead (02) 6277 7520 or 0418 221 433