PM Turnbull Consoles GriefStricken Woman, Announces Emergency Drought Relief
PM Turnbull consoles rural worker
Acharity worker helping drought-stricken farmers has broken down during an emotional confrontation with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in regional New South Wales.
Mr Turnbull comforted Edwina Robertson in the town of Trangie, west of Dubbo, as she spoke about dire conditions and hardship in many farming communities. “It’s worse than anything you are seeing in the media, it’s far worse,” Ms Robertson told the Prime Minister.
“It’s dire. I worry every day when I go to visit farming families that it’s going to be hours too late, it’s literally that bad.”
Mr Turnbull has promised to do more to help those under intense financial strain due to relentless drought conditions, signing off on emergency “special” payments for eligible farmers, to be made through the Farm Household Allowance (FHA) scheme. Currently, those on the FHA scheme can access a payment equivalent to the unemployment benefit, worth about AU$16,000 (FJ$24,952.03) a year. Yesterday’s announcement will provide households up to AU$12,000 (FJ$18,714.02) in additional lump-sum payments for couples. Single households will get AU$7200 (FJ$11,228.41).
The first payment will be made on the first day of next month. The second payment would be made on March 1, next year.
Yesterday’s package will also include extra funding for mental health support, and is costing AU$190 million (FJ$296.31m) in total. The latest announcement brings the Government’s spending on drought measures to AU$576 million (FJ$898.27m).