GUNNEDAH RURAL COUNSELLING SERVICE

Page: 40

Mr PETER DRAPER: My question without notice is directed to the Premier. Given the Premier's recent call for banks to support farmers through the ongoing drought, will the Government commit additional funds to the Gunnedah and District Rural Counselling Service to ensure its future?

Mr BOB CARR: In the fourth year of one of the worst droughts on record, farming families across the parched landscape of rural New South Wales are under enormous pressure. Many farmers will be unable to sew a winter crop for the third successive year. Others have de-stocked and will be unable to build up stock numbers until the drought ends. During the current drought the New South Wales Government has provided $160 million through 30 separate assistance measures. The Minister for Primary Industries announced additional measures at the Drought Summit in Parkes and they included waiving water charges for irrigators in the Lachlan Valley in 2003-04, reinstating transport subsidies for sending livestock to slaughter or sale until the end of winter, and the member for Tamworth will be pleased to hear that a renewed commitment has been made by the New South Wales Government to drought support workers and the Rural Financial Counselling Program.

With 87 per cent of the State still in drought, and with the prospect of yet another dry winter, the Government recognises the plight of drought-stricken farmers. As the Treasurer recognised in his speech yesterday, the Federal Treasurer said nothing about drought in his budget speech. The honourable member for Tamworth rightly draws the attention of the House to the rural financial counselling service. This service is a lifesaver for farmers under stress, offering financial advice, information and moral support. It acknowledges the financial problems caused by drought and the psychological effect on farmers and their families.

At critical moments when farmers are facing decisions about their future, these counsellors are able to offer a word of advice. It is a free service, independent and confidential. Historically, the Commonwealth and State governments have funded the scheme with each local community contributing, but since the start of the drought in 2002 local communities have found it very hard and that is why in a number of cases the New South Wales Government met the shortfall with additional grants of $25,000. This amounted to nearly $2 million of assistance in counselling in 2004-05. The honourable member for Tamworth will be interested to hear that the New South Wales Government will ensure rural financial counsellors, including the Gunnedah service, can continue their valuable work. The funding Gunnedah has received for the past two years will be extended another year. Farmers are resilient and optimistic, but in these arid lands with this variable climate and this very tough drought, they need this extra assistance, and the rural financial counselling service is one of the many measures the New South Wales Government supports.

There is one area where the Opposition goes further than us in offering support for farmers. We have overlooked, and the Minister has overlooked and Country Labor has overlooked the hardworking farmers of Manly. Down by the golden sands and the Norfolk pines, back beyond the Corso, the aquarium and the beach volleyball courts, people are apparently up at the crack of dawn slipping on their RM Williams and putting the blue heeler in the back of the ute. The Leader of the Opposition has been taking up their cause. He said in a press release delivered to the Manly Daily that the New South Wales Government had completely neglected the poor downtrodden farmers of Manly and he produced a headline, "The Plight of Manly's Farmers". The newspaper was reporting a press release issued by the Leader of the Opposition calling on the honourable member for Manly—the poor, old member for Manly—to support the Coalition's amendments to our new workforce safety laws. The press release said:

Mr Barr can either stand up for businesses and farmers in Manly or continue to be a lackey of the Carr Government.

I just warn the honourable member for Manly what the Leader of the Opposition said in the devastating criticism contained in that press release: You stand up for your farmers in Manly. They are all confused on that side of the House. I know The Nationals has become a coastal party; I know it has been stripped of seats by country independents inland—and lost Port Macquarie to boot; Lachlan has been sacrificed in the redistribution—

Mr Ian Armstrong: I'm going to run for Manly now!

Mr BOB CARR: That's right, the farmers' friend from Lachlan can run for Manly. He is entitled to think that after their dismal performance in Manly against the independent at the last election he might have done a whole lot better. But that is a warning and if I were the member for Manly I would be checking the local government records and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. We did check them and, funny thing, there is not a farmer on the electoral roll in the State electoral division of Manly. But, given the absence of other issues, it is worthwhile for the Leader of the Opposition to take up their cause just in case.