Emergency Drought Relief Package

This program aims to help alleviate some of the immediate financial pressures facing NSW farmers and regional communities.

The emergency package was first announced on 30 July 2018 and became effective immediately. It includes a range of measures, some of which retrospectively apply to the 2017-18 financial year, and some from 1 January 2018. It was extended in in June 2019 and taking effect from 1 July 2019 in response to the prolonged and protracted drought and a negative outlook for the season ahead.

In May 2020 the NSW Government announced a further $310 million to continue the package. The extended NSW Emergency Drought Relief Package includes:
- $116 million to continue the Drought Transport subsidy.
- $99 million to continue waiving Local Land Services rates, bee site permits, Western Lands lease rent, wild dog fence rates and provide assistance for vehicle registration costs for eligible primary producers.
- $28.5 million to continue existing water licence fee waivers for stock, domestic, general and high security water users.
- Continuation of health and wellbeing programs, including the Farmgate Counsellors Program, Aboriginal wellbeing services and Royal Flying Doctors Far West Drought Support programs.

The NSW Government will invest a further $310 million in emergency drought relief in recognition of the on-going drought conditions in regional NSW, extending emergency drought measures to help farmers and communities make it out of the worst drought in living memory. This new investment takes the NSW Government’s total drought support and water security commitment to close to $4 billion.

Please refer to the website for more information of the assistance offered under the package.

Please refer to the website for the eligibility requirements of each assistance offered.