Drought relief
Richard RIORDAN (Polwarth) (09:48): There is a drought crisis in south-west Victoria that this government continues to turn its back on and maintain a blind eye to. It is simply not fair. At a time when this government brings before this Parliament a 189 per cent increase in fire service tax which will see literally millions ripped from country communities in south-west Victoria, this government refuses to give anything back to the people suffering drought. This drought at the moment is across a region that simply does not have long-term water supplies like other areas used to dry conditions. South-west Victoria is a food bowl for Australia, providing huge dairy output, beef, sheep, cereals and crops. The whole works is produced in south-west Victoria, and they are suffering terribly at the moment. Not since 1983, 1967, 1940 and the federation drought have such dry conditions been experienced in the region. It is hurting families and it is hurting communities, but the worst problem is without some recognition by this state government that there is a crisis we are looking at a really long-term economic hit to the region. The reason will be that farmers are having to destock. It will take ages for them to be able to come back into production and provide food and economic output for our communities.