SCIENCE & NATURE
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PLEA TO PM FOR DROUGHT CASH GRANTS
Patricia Karvelas and Steve Lewis May 20, 2005 DROUGHT-AFFLICTED farmers are urging John Howard to give them individual cash grants of up to $100,000 to rescue the worst hit from possible bankruptcy.
The Prime Minister, who pledged yesterday that he would "never abandon the farmers of Australia", will travel to western NSW today to see at first hand the devastation the drought has caused.
As he arrived in the regional town of Wentworth in southwestern NSW last night, Mr Howard said he was there to listen and would not be making any announcements during his tour.
Asked whether he was concerned about the effect the drought could have on the economy, he said it was the human dimension he was concerned about.
"If this goes on, it's greater impact is on the lives of people it affects," Mr Howard said.
"I would want to butture the rural community that they are not alone in this great difficulty."
On Monday, cabinet will be asked to approve a relief package that could run into hundreds of millions of dollars and include measures providing more generous relief than the 50 per cent interest rate subsidy now offered to farmers in drought-hit areas.
This could see the commonwealth underwrite up to 80 per cent of a farmer's interest payments on a loan until the drought is broken.
National Farmers Federation president Peter Corish said farmers would be angry if the Howard Government did not dramatically overhaul the regime of drought buttistance currently in place.
"We want cash grants to limit the level of debt farmers get themselves into and give them the flexibility to do what they absolutely need to do," Mr Corish said.
"We want it to replace the current interest rate subsidy, which is the maximum of $100,000. Our priority is the idea of the grant."
Mr Corish said the farmers who were eligible for these measures of buttistance were "desperate, and not cash-hungry".
"They are not the majority of farmers, so it's not normal circumstances. We accept that drought is normal, but this is not normal - this is three to four years now."
He said that he wanted those claims that had been previously rejected to be immediately reviewed.
"We would be concerned and angry if the EC (Exceptional Circumstances) system wasn't overhauled significantly," Mr Corish said.
"The Prime Minister will also hear directly the problems with the current EC buttistance arrangements and find out for himself just how many farmers are falling through the cracks as a consequence of restrictive rules and regulations constraining the current program."
Mr Howard has signalled that generous help will be forthcoming for farmers in need.
"Some of them (farming families) have been knocked three, four, five years in a row with no winter crops and they've had a terrible time and I really feel very sorry for them," Mr Howard said.
"They should understand that's my mood and, as I say, within reason and as is appropriate, if further help is needed, we'll try and (provide it)."
NOTE
No relief in sight now since Sir Turcaud ' return to Australia will not take place.... another 7 years of DDD ahead according to Eternal Laws of Justice !!!
Brought to you out of concern by :
NO END OF THE DDD POOR MR FIFEWide-spread impact: The drought is crippling farm-related businesses. (ABC) FARM-RELATED BUSINESS TELL HOWARD OF DROUGHT WOES Farm-related businesses have told Prime Minister John Howard that they are also suffering...
-- Sir Jean-Paul Turcaud Australia Mining Pioneer Exploration Geologist Discoverer and Legal Owner of Telfer, Nifty & Kintyre Mines The Great Sandy Desert of Australia
Founder of the True Geology
~~Ignorance Is The Cosmic Sin, The One Never Forgiven ! ~~
