If we weren't enduring the toughest of times on the land you may be able to describe this latest drought assistance stuff-up as a bureaucratic bungle.
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But sadly for farmers in the Singleton Local Government Area, the stupidity of how districts are considered drought impacted, none will be eligible for the $3,000 support grants in Round 2 of the Drought Community Support Initiative.
Singleton LGA according to whatever criteria is used is apparently not drought impacted.
A spokesman for the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development said financial assistance under the DCSI Round 2 is being delivered by The Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul Society, and is currently available to households in the LGAs identified under the Drought Communities Programme (DCP) Extension.
Singleton Council is not currently eligible for DCP Extension and therefore, DCSI is not available in that LGA.
The question as to why - was not answered by the Federal department therefore leaving our farmers wondering how bad does it have to get before they become eligible for assistance.
Farming households were previously eligible for $3,000 assistance payments from the Country Women's Association of Australia (CWA) after the Australian Government provided the CWA with a $5 million one-off grant in June 2019.
The CWA funding was not limited to specific Local Government Areas (LGAs) and is a separate program to the Drought Community Support Initiative (DCSI).
So why change the criteria this time around - best of luck finding an answer to that one days before Christmas.
A similar outcome occurred when it came to drought assistance for local councils with Singleton failing to meet the criteria but Muswellbrook did receive assistance.
Apparently the reason Singleton Council missed out on any drought assistance is the fact we are 'too mining orientated' because only 11.1 per cent of our workforce is involved in agriculture and benchmark to receive funding is a workforce of 17 per cent in agriculture.
This is all very confusing for producers trying to keep their core breeders alive and few options to sell as the saleyards and abattoirs shut for the Christmas break.
Reedy Creek producer Wendy Noble said she had been feeding her herd for three now due to the severity of the drought with the last load of fodder for 70 cows and calves coming from South Australia.
"Its just getting harder and harder and the prices are falling, we can hope for a break but really we need some help and now," she said.
She was bitterly disappointed when she contacted the charities administering the latest round of funding to see if you could receive the $3000 payment and was told Singleton LGA was not included.
"Why not just look at the district we are in a severe drought so many farmers are struggling to feed stock and someone says no Singleton is not included - what an absolute joke," she said.
Earlier this year Wendy received funding from the CWA which she said was wonderful and a great assistance along with support from Rural Aid.
"We got some large round bales from Rural Aid which was great help - but this thing with the latest funding makes no sense whatsoever.
"Who decides this if Muswellbrook is included then why not Singleton."