Council
15 May, 2025
Britnell slams government on drought inaction
SOUTH West Coast MP Roma Britnell has called on the Allan Labor Government to provide urgent drought relief for farmers experiencing the driest conditions she’s seen in 25 years of farming.
Ms Britnell said much of the south west was experiencing significant drought conditions, with little rain forecast to provide a reprieve.
She said long-suffering graziers lament the tough conditions which are even worse than the 1967 drought.
Ms Britnell, who has a background in farming, said the drought was pushing farmers to a breaking point.
“In all my 25 years of farming I have never seen such dry conditions, which have been exacerbated by a failed spring followed by a failed autumn,” she said.
“Dams are dry and water for livestock is having to be trucked in. Paddocks are bare dirt, while hay supplies are scarce and extremely expensive.
“Farmers are spending all day hand feeding stock that would normally graze.
“Farmers are exhausted and under enormous stress.
“Conditions continue daily to worsen with no rain forecast and the bitter winter about to set in meaning no grass will grow now until spring.”
Ms Britnell slammed Victorian Minister for Agriculture Ros Spence, saying she had only visited eight months ago and demonstrated “a lack of care”.
“Conditions have deteriorated significantly since then,” she said.
“The Minister’s claim of assistance to farmers providing them with $5000 co-contribution grants to upgrade farm watering systems and buy grain and fodder storage infrastructure is an insult because farmers have no money to buy food and water to put in the infrastructure.
“Any spare money is being spent on food or water to keep their farm viable and producing food.
“Farmers need government relief to survive the drought and they need it now.
“A drought is a natural disaster, like flood or fire. It needs an emergency response to prevent further damage.”
Ms Britnell said billions of dollars were being spent on projects in metropolitan Melbourne despite “a crisis in the south west which the government refuses to acknowledge”.
“This is proof that the Allan Labor Government has no idea about the daily realities that farmers deal with and the minister’s response is lip service,” she said.
“My office is being inundated with calls from people who work with farmers (stock agents, fodder providers and truck drivers) who are all concerned about the immense toll that this drought is taking on farmers.
“There is an urgent need for assistance for farmers in south west Victoria which are at breaking point.
“Food and fibre production are vital not just to the south west but also to the Victorian economy – without aid, primary production costs increase, worsening the cost-of-living crisis.
“The Allan Labor Government can prevent the cost of milk and meat from rising if they support our drought-stricken farmers now.”
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