Women reject Government’s drought grants program
 

March 2020

The Country Women's Association (CWA) has slammed the Federal Government over its drought assistance, describing the latest funding announcement as "disappointing, infuriating, insulting and disrespectful".
On Thursday, Drought Minister David Littleproud announced the Commonwealth would provide $5 million to the CWA "to provide vouchers of up to $500 to farming households experiencing hardship due to the drought".
The CWA said it was seeking more federal funding for its drought programs since September.
"It was a total disregard, it's disrespectful ... it would have been nice to have been consulted," national president Tanya Cameron said.
The CWA has written to the Government to say it will not be participating in the outreach program as it is currently proposed.
It said its state branches did not support the process of administering $500 vouchers at public events, such as barbecues or roadshows, as they understood the Government intended.
"A $500 voucher at the outset is quite minimal in nature," CWA NSW chief executive Danica Leys said.
Narromine farmer Susie Rae said she and her husband had been forced to find off-farm work during the drought and that a voucher would not go far to help.
"You've got to understand we have a lot of expenses on a farm, so it really doesn't go that far," she said.
"It would go to bills. It would just go to the service you have done on your car or your ute, or maybe the tyres on a car."

 

Greek Tribune