Interview with Selina Green, ABC Country Hour

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
RADIO INTERVIEW
ABC COUNTRY HOUR
THURSDAY, 29 MAY 2025

SUBJECTS: Visit to South Australia; Albanese Labor Government’s $1 billion rural support and drought resilience programs.

SELINA GREEN, HOST: Well, first today, the Federal Minister for Agriculture, as I said, Julie Collins is in South Australia. She's been visiting drought affected parts of the state and talking to the industry about what more help is needed. Yesterday she toured the dairy farm of SADA President Rob Brokenshire near Mount Compass and a grain farm in the Mid North. Today, she's visiting some more farms and holding a roundtable with the state government and farming groups. I had time to speak with the Minister Julie Collins before she went into that meeting earlier today, and I asked her for her initial impression on the extent of the drought here in South Australia.

JULIE COLLINS, MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FORESTRY: Well, according to some of the records and chatting to farmers, this is clearly one of the worst droughts that South Australia has had on record when you look at the data. But importantly, talking to farmers about their lived experience, and I think it's the compound effect of last year and this year that's really hurting the farmers. I've had the real privilege yesterday, and I will today again, to be taken out on farm by some of your local farmers. And they've been really terrific. They've been very frank and open with me. They've been very honest about some of the issues that they're facing. And I really want to thank them for being so upfront and for taking the time out of their busy schedule to actually have a chat to me and to have me on their farm.

GREEN: I know there has been calls for some time to have you come visit South Australia and see this drought firsthand. Are you getting that sense of this is what people wanted to have you come here and see things firsthand?

COLLINS: Absolutely. People have been incredibly generous in sharing their stories. I did, during the election campaign, meet with the grain producers of South Australia, and late last year I was in Western Victoria meeting with a dairy farmer in relation to the drought conditions there. I do know that it is getting worse. And so I'm here, yesterday and today for two entire days, going out on farms, talking to farmers. I'm also attending a forum this morning with your Premier and your Minister, Minister Scriven, to meet with primary producers from across the state to actually have a frank discussion about the state government assistance, the federal government assistance, but importantly the lived experience for farmers so that they get the opportunity to share their story about what it means for them.

GREEN: Should people be expecting any further funding announcements or support announcements as a result of this visit?

COLLINS: Well, we made some further announcements yesterday in releasing the $36 million from the Future Drought Fund in terms of communities and resilience in communities. We've also released some urgent funding, additional funding, for rural financial counselling for both South Australia and for Victoria. We do know that demand is up, and I would encourage those farmers who are having issues to reach out. So, we're providing additional support so that those services can be met and people can get that assistance. Importantly, of course, we have assistance available all the time for the Regional Investment Corporation. So, the RIC, as it's known, the RIC loans, obviously the Farm Household Allowance, and of course, the financial counselling as well. There's also, of course, the farm managed deposit scheme. So, during good times when farmers have put money into those schemes, now is obviously the time to take, take them out. And here in South Australia, there's around 900 million in those deposit funds and around 6,000 accounts.

GREEN: We know that the Rural Financial Counselling Service has seen a huge increase in demand. So, extra funding for them, no doubt, very welcome. The extra funding or the funding for the Future Drought Fund for Communities program. This is obviously an extension of existing fund, but this is more about preparedness rather than, I guess, immediate assistance, which is something that people are saying that they need more of, I guess that short term support rather than preparing for future drought.

COLLINS: Yeah, it's important obviously, that we do both. And under the National Drought Agreement, the South Australian government has obviously announced over $70 million of immediate support. And as I've said, the Federal Government has that support available through the Regional Investment Corporation and the Farm Household Allowance all of the time. And obviously, I am listening very carefully to farmers, and we have, you know, I guess I'm open to suggestions and to discussions about what other role they would like tiers of government to play, and who is the most appropriate tier of government to play that role. But this is really about me listening. I've been asked by the Prime Minister, you know, to report back. He's concerned about what is happening here in South Australia and indeed in Western Victoria and the drought-impacted areas across the country.

GREEN: The Farm Household Allowance, as you mentioned before, we understand around 800 or so farming families access that Farm Household Allowance. Some of the things that we've been hearing from farmers is that there are concerns around the red tape surrounding that, that might have been some of the things put to you in the day or so that you've been here, that it is difficult for some to access. Would you consider any way of making that easier for people to access in terms of, you know, the means income or the asset test or things like that?

COLLINS: Well, we're certainly open to listening to people, and that's why I'm here, I'm not ruling anything in or out. This is for me to hear directly from farmers about the impact and certainly the Farm Household Allowance and some of the conditions around that has been raised with me. So, you know, we will have a look at that, as we should. But as I would say, there's been a bit of confusion around the Farm Household Allowance, so it's an opportunity now for me to clear that up. It's actually a net assets test, so it's a net asset of $5.5 million is the threshold and the cut off for it. A lot of people actually think that it's a gross amount. It's actually a net amount. So, many people who think they're ineligible are probably eligible for this payment, but certainly it has been raised. And, you know, I'm not ruling anything in or out. I'm here to listen to feedback from farmers on the ground about what supports are available and what additional support they may need.

GREEN: Is there any capacity or scope for tweaking the Regional Investment Corporation or those RIC loans in terms of access, the capacity for those loans, the interest rates for those loans?

COLLINS: Well, as I said, we're here to listen. Certainly, again, the RIC has been raised with us, and that. So, we will have a listen, we will go back and have a look at that, about whether or not it is possible. As I said, I don't want to rule anything in or out at this point. This is about actually listening and listening carefully to the impact of what supports are available and what additional support may be needed, and what we might need to do in terms of the existing support. So, I'm here to listen and I'm taking this incredibly seriously. And certainly the Prime Minister, as I've said, is concerned and has asked me to report back to him. We understand that this is really impacting people. You know, when I go out and I'm on farm and I listen to people and I listen to their stories. I'm really seriously listening. I'm taking in what they're saying to me. I'm talking to them about, you know, if we did this, if we did that. Obviously, the federal government, we can't make it rain, but what we can do is support people through this difficult period. I think we all want to see some rain soon. And certainly, you know, talking to people about the investments that they have had to make and some of the decisions they've had to make about whether or not they plant seed, whether or not they restock, and how they do that in the current climate. You know, banking on whether or not it rains, literally banking on it, is really heart-wrenching. So, it's been a real privilege yesterday to actually be on farms and to talk to farmers about their experiences. I've said they've been incredibly generous, and they're talking to me about their personal experience and what may or may not help.

GREEN: As you say, if everything's on the table. Perhaps something like assistance for accessing fodder or for a water for fodder program, as been done in previous droughts. Is that something that you would consider, or is on that discussion table?

COLLINS: Well, as I said, I'm not ruling anything in or out. There is a National Drought Agreement where it was deemed that the federal government wouldn't support those types of programs, but there is recognition that during times of very severe drought that we may be required to do more. So, you know, as I said, this is listening. I'm not ruling anything in or out, and I'm taking very seriously the feedback I'm receiving from farmers and primary producers whilst I'm in South Australia yesterday and today.

GREEN: That's the Federal Minister for Agriculture, Julie Collins, speaking to me there earlier.