Late last year the Federal Government extended its drought assistance package to small businesses severely affected by drought.
The Exceptional Circumstances (EC) drought relief will now be available to small businesses which derive at least 70 percent of their income directly from agriculture.
“More than 5,000 small business operators, from contract harvesters to feed producers and fertiliser suppliers, will now be eligible for EC assistance,” says Peter McGauran, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
“The government understands that the current drought is impacting not just on our farmers, but a huge number of Australians,” says Fran Bailey, Minister for Small Business and Tourism. “And for small farm-dependent businesses in regional and rural areas, the consequences have been particularly severe.”
This latest assistance is in addition to the $910 million in extra drought aid announced in October last year, which follows the $1.2 billion already provided over the past five years.
To check your business’s eligibility, call the National Drought Assistance Hotline on 132 316.
