Nats’ $20m for water security

Better on-farm water security and efficiency for the State’s 12 water-deficient towns will be a key focus of the Nationals WA election campaign, with Member for Roe Peter Rundle announcing a $20 million committent this week.

Mr Rundle said the committent would see the party reinstate the Farm Water Rebate and Pastoral Water Grant schemes to assist farmers with up to $20,000 to secure and maintain water supplies without relying on scheme water.

“These programs were extremely popular and our commitment to reinstate them gives those working the land confidence to maintain and adapt their on-farm water practices to suit a changing climate,” he said. “Unfortunately Labor turned off the tap to both these schemes in 2018, leaving farmers and pastoralists without any State Government assistance to implement water sustainability projects.”

Reinstating the two schemes would allow eligible applications to apply for funding to cover half the cost of water-related projects including improving water harvesting, supply works, maintenance work and developing alternative water points.

Nationals WA agricultural spokesperson Colin de Grussa said water-deficient declarations — which require the Government to provide a central source of water to farmers and their livestock known as carting — was a short-term solution that needed to be fixed.

“Farmers in many parts of the region have been carting water for three years or more and as a result are shedding flock numbers and burning out from the constant burden of sourcing stock water,” he said. “Our priority is reducing water stress on-farm and making sure agriculturalists have access to as many tools and assistance as possible to shore up their water network and long-term supply.”

Mr Rundle said farmers reducing their sheep flock sizes because of the issue was a real concern and would have lasting impacts on the industry.

“I’m really worried about our sheep flock ... and obviously water is such a key part of it,” he said.

“We’ve had farmers recently looking to just sell their whole flock because they can’t sustain it any more, carting water for three years in a row and just about all empty dams, and so that’s a real issue for me.

“We’re at a point now where our sheep flock is right on the borderline of being self-sustaining and then that flows on to the likes of our abattoirs and all of our other sheep-related industries.”