DROUGHT-stricken farmers are still scratching their heads at the NSW government's drought policy, questioning its rainfall deficiency analysis system and wondering what happens to water infrastructure rebates when the scheme expires.
With just one month to go until applications close, less than a quarter of the Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme's $20 million has been spent.
In total, just $2.5 million in rebates has been approved.
The Land understands the government is investigating issues with the scheme, including the potential of extending it.
A particularly sore point for farmers is the scheme's eligibility criteria.
To qualify for rebates, farmers must be in a one-in-50-year rainfall deficiency for 12 months or more.
Applicants must submit a valid Bureau of Meteorology Rainfall Deficiency Report as part of their application.
The report identifies areas with a rainfall deficiency equivalent or worse than a one-in-50-year rainfall event for 12 months or more.
Rebates for water works can be used to de-silt dams and install emergency on-farm water infrastructure, such as pipelines, bores, tanks and troughs.
However, many farmers in NSW's most drought-stricken shires can't access the funding.
According to the bureau's latest figures, Bourke, Brewarrina, Coon-amble, Come By Chance and parts of Walgett shires are ineligible.
Less hard-hit areas are eligible, including Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie and Armidale.
Previously, farmers in North West NSW accessed up to $35m of drought funding that has been made available since 2013.
Walgett Shire Council general manager Don Ramsland said the bureau's rainfall map had been "an unfair system from the start".
He said it wasn't just farmers affected, but rural agricultural suppliers.
"If the government is going to make funding available it needs to make it available quickly because suppliers in the town are hurting," he said.
Western woolgrowers Gary and Toni Wells, "Windara", halfway between Cobar and Tilpa, haven't received widespread rain for years, but they aren't eligible for the rebate.
"When we saw coastal regions were getting the rebate and we weren't, we were absolutely gobsmacked and rang the Rural Assistance Authority to double check," Mrs Wells said.
The couple, who run about 200 cattle and 4000 sheep, don't want to have to destock, so they're cutting Mulga and Kurrajong scrub each day for stock feed.
They replaced a windmill with a $7000 solar pump last month, despite being unable to access the funding.
"It would have been brilliant to get half of that back," she said.
"If we had received the rebate, for the same amount of money we could have installed two solar pumps and been even more efficient."
Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair said drought-affected farmers had access to water works rebates under previous rounds of the scheme.
"As part of the first round, more than 2200 farm businesses were provided with funding, including farms in Brewarrina, Walgett and Bourke, which were the first three shires to have access to the scheme," he said.
"All farmers - no matter whether they are in drought or not, or where they live in NSW - may also apply to the NSW government's Farm Innovation Fund to do a range of works on their properties, including all works covered by the Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate.
"The NSW government has allocated an additional $250m to the Farm Innovation Fund, which provides approved farm businesses with 20-year loans of up to $250,000 per project, or $500,000 per landholder, at concessional rates of 2.5 per cent interest."
NSW Farmers president Fiona Simson said she wasn't surprised by the lack of funding spent, given the strict criteria.
"There's a real issue around the criteria of some of these assistance packages and their ability to address the needs of communities and landholders," she said.
"With the way the one-in-50-year map is actually working, a lot of the areas hardest hit are not showing up and that's due to the lack of data in those areas.
"Another problem is that if you've already received rebates in another round, you're not eligible, so the people who really need this infrastructure are not allowed to apply."
