Drought-affected farmers across western Victoria are being unfairly excluded from support as rigid eligibility boundaries fail to reflect conditions on the ground.
The Nationals Member for Lowan and Shadow Minister for Agriculture Emma Kealy has again urged the state Labor government to restructure drought support measures to ensure equitable access for affected farmers.
“Across Lowan, farmers are facing the same dry conditions, the same failed seasons and the same financial pressure – yet some qualify for drought support while their neighbours miss out,” she said.
“Drought does not stop at council or postcode lines. These arbitrary cut-offs are unfair and they are dividing communities.”
Ms Kealy said councils across the south-west, including Glenelg, Southern Grampians and West Wimmera, have warned that current eligibility settings do not match the real impacts being felt by farmers.
“In the Wimmera and south-west, some farmers are being told they don’t qualify for support despite enduring years of dry conditions, record high input costs and shrinking margins,” she said.
“This is happening while fuel and fertiliser prices remain stubbornly high, driving up costs across the entire agricultural supply chain and adding pressure at a time farmers can least afford it.”
Ms Kealy said these pressures were being compounded by Labor’s looming emergency services tax, which she warned would place another burden on regional property owners and farming families.
“Labor is asking farmers to carry more cost – higher inputs, reduced productivity and now an emergency services tax – while failing to deliver fair and consistent drought support,” she said.
“When farmers are pushed to the brink, it pushes up the cost of food at the checkout during an ongoing cost of living crisis, and reduces food security.
“Farmers aren’t asking for special treatment — they’re asking for equal treatment, which means support that is practical, flexible and locally informed, not dictated by bureaucratic lines drawn in Melbourne.”
Ms Kealy has called on the government to urgently:
· Review drought-affected area declarations and eligibility boundaries
· Ensure neighbouring farmers facing the same conditions receive equal access to support
· Properly consult councils and local farming groups before finalising eligibility decisions
“Lowan farmers are resilient, but resilience is not an excuse for inaction,” Ms Kealy said.
“The Nationals will always stand up for regional Victoria. We live it, we know it, and we will always fight for our communities’ fair share.”
