Some South Australian farmers experiencing drought conditions are still waiting on assistance, despite government relief packages being made available months ago.
Michael Kowald is a second-generation farmer in the Adelaide Hills and applied for a grant with a state government rebate scheme in January.
But on Tuesday morning, Mr Kowald still had not heard back from the state government.
“It’s coming up to three months with no contact, and that’s the only thing I’ve applied for in this round,” he said.
“We could probably have had this done already.”
Michael Kowald says farmers across the state are feeling the impact of dry conditions. (ABC News: Guido Salazar)
Mr Kowald is one of many residents doing it tough in the Hills region due to a lack of rainfall last winter.
“I’ve seen dry summers and we can deal with those, this one’s taking a bit more of a toll,” Mr Kowald said.
“The low rainfall and no rain … I reckon it’s one out of the box.”
Mr Kowald said he’s not the only dairy farmer in the region experiencing hardship.
“We’re all in the same boat,” he said.
“Everybody’s dealing with the same issues, and that goes statewide too.
“It doesn’t matter what you’re farming, you’re experiencing dry times.”
Projects halted as cash flow falls stagnant
In order to provide stock water for his cattle, Mr Kowald wants to restore an old bore on his property.
He applied for a $5,000 grant from the state government to help bring potable water up from 40 metres below ground.
Michael Kowald says drought conditions in the Adelaide Hills are taking a toll on farmers. (ABC News: Guido Salazar)
“A simple solar pump would fix this problem, bring the water up from the ground,” he said.
“[I was] using that $5,000 to assist with that project, and it’s all come to a standstill.”
Mr Kowald said the delay in getting the funding means he won’t finish the job for months.
“I was planning to do it in February … things have changed a little … so I’ll probably sit on the project a bit longer,” he said.
The state government has vowed to get money out quicker to farmers affected by drought. (ABC News: Guido Salazar)
Last week, the government acknowledged the delays experienced by farmers across the state and vowed to process applications within 30 days.
This week, a second round of the On-farm Drought Infrastructure Rebate Scheme was opened for applications.
Treasurer Stephen Mullighan said extra staff have been hired to streamline that process.
“Farmers who have previously experienced delays should see money flowing far more quickly than what’s been the case before,”
he said.
On Tuesday afternoon, Mr Kowald was contacted by the state government after an interview with ABC News.
Opposition calls for wider relief eligibility
The state government’s $55 million drought relief package announced last week also includes financial relief through rebates for the Emergency Services Levy (ESL) and commercial vehicle registration fees.
But these rebates are only available to those receiving the Farm Household Allowance, a means-tested payment run by the Commonwealth.
Opposition Leader Vincent Tarzia said that means relief is not getting to enough people in need.
“On our numbers it’s only hundreds of farmers across the state that actually qualify for that, but we know that there’s around 9,000 farming businesses across the state,” he said.
“It’s only going be a fraction of farmers in our state that would be able to qualify … and that’s just simply not good enough.”
Mr Tarzia called on the government to make more farmers eligible for that relief.
“The government should open up that criteria to make sure that they can provide that assistance to farmers right across the board,” he said.
“Because we know that many are going through a drought that has never been seen like this before.”
The opposition has called on the government to expand the eligibility of drought relief funding. (ABC News: Guido Salazar)
In response, Mr Mullighan said the government is using the means test put in place by the Commonwealth and does not intend to change that.
“We are trying to focus on those farmers, and those other people adversely affected by the drought who are in the most need,” he said.
“We are making sure the money gets out to them and gets out to them as quickly as possible.”
Mr Kowald said the Farm Household Allowance would be “tricky” to apply for and he does not believe it is “for him” anyway.
“I hope there are farmers in SA getting it and able to get the things the government are offering along with that,” he said.
“It’s a good package and it does help, it’s just not for everybody.”
The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting an 80 per cent chance of any rain for the town of Stirling on Saturday.
But Mr Kowald said even rain will not instantly solve the issues farmers are facing.
“It’ll give us green grass. It’s not going to fix the feed shortage, it’s not gonna fix that need to get feed immediately.”
