Drought support in spotlight: Mike Baird visits farmers

DROUGHT is back on the political agenda – as Premier Mike Baird visits the parched North West region of NSW today.

Mr Baird has flown to western NSW to see the impact of the more than two seasons of drought on local farmers.

This morning he is at Ed Fessey's property "Bullabelalie", near Weilmoringle, looking at capped and piped bores.

NSW's cap and pipe the bores scheme has been hailed as a success but it still has more work to do and future funding remains in limbo.

The scheme began in 1999, jointly funded by the State, Commonwealth and landowners under the Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative.

To date about 400 free flowing bores have been capped, 18,000 kilometres of piping installed and more than 78,000 megalitres of water saved.

A third round of capping and piping in western NSW is set to finish midway through 2015.

However, the federal environment department said future funding for the program “is yet to be determined”.

Mr Baird will be hearing about the scheme's success on today's drought trip.

Click on the photo to see more images from the drought tour

NSW Farmers representatives are with the Premier on his trip as well as the Minister for Primary Industries Katrina Hodgkinson.

NSW Farmers president Fiona Simson said she wanted Mr Baird to see first-hand the need to bring back in-drought support measures.

The government's in-drought support policy has recently fallen by the wayside, replaced by a policy to promote drought preparation.

“If you are in a rip-roaring drought, no matter how well prepared you are, you need in drought support measures,” Ms Simson said.

“I hope the government can reconsider its position and introduce a levy like Queensland, to get some cash moving into drought-stricken regional communities.”

Farmers in drought declared areas of Queensland are supported with $30,000 funding.

NSW Premier Mike Baird is at Ed Fessey's property "Bullabelalie", near Weilmoringle

Mr Baird’s drought tour is “hypocritical window dressing,” according to opposition primary industries spokesman Steve Whan.

“Mike Baird has some front going off to the North West and telling (farmers) the government is doing all it can when he has cut funding for drought relief.

“During the millennium drought the Labor government provided 50 per cent subsidies for the transport of fodder and stock, those subsidies helped farmers keep their breeding stock alive so that they could rebuild herds in the good years.

“Farmers in the North West were receiving these subsidies up till June 30 when the Baird Liberal/National Government cut them off.”

Stock transport subsidies are now only available for de-stocking for animal welfare.

Visiting farmers is not new for the Premier.

One of Mr Baird’s first trips in office, in May, saw him drop into a farm in southern NSW.

"I wanted to come to hear the challenges farmers have and to see how we can enhance and protect agriculture," he said when in Wagga Wagga.