Despite the abundant rainfall in many towns in the far west and central west parts of his largely agriculture-based vast electorate in NSW, Parkes MP Mark Coulton is staying consistent on the message, 'prepare for drought now'.
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"It's hard to imagine another drought while it's so wet at the moment [but] we know the next dry time is just around the corner and now's the time to start preparing," Mr Coulton, who is also a farmer and grazier in Warialda, said.
The farming towns in his electorate that need to be ready for the next drought include Warrumbungle, Walgett, Warren, Narromine, Narrabri, Lachlan, Gilgandra, Gwydir, Gunnedah, Coonamble, Cobar, Darling, Dubbo, Broken Hill, Brewarrina, Bourke and Bogan.
These towns and their residents felt the brunt of the droughts that crippled the agriculture sector in the far west since the millennium drought that began in early 2000.
In January 2020, the Bureau of Meteorology issued a statement on the drought confirming the worst dry season in the country was December 2020 with not even a drop, and the vast Murray-Darling Basin where most of the water supply the far west region depended on was in its driest state.
Three years before that, from 2017 to 2019, the Murray-Darling Basin was also in its "driest on record" when its usual average 100-millimetre rainfall forecast became a longer-term rainfall deficiency, the BOM said.
Last month, the tables have turned and Murray-Darling Basin storages were 93 percent full from abundant rainfall, up from 82.5 percent at the same time last year, the BOM said.
"The last drought was devastating for communities across the Parkes electorate, and as much as we would like to never experience that again, drought is, unfortunately, a fact of life in this country," Mr Coulton said.
He said the government must ensure regional and rural communities are better equipped to deal with the effects of drought when it happens again.
"Drought preparations and planning must always continue, especially during times when there is no drought. It's more than just filling dams and is not only an issue for our farmers," Mr Coulton said.
"We saw in the last drought that it was not just farmers who were impacted, the whole communities suffered from the cumulative effects."
Alarmed by the prolonged drought's devastating impacts on the agriculture sector, Mr Coulton said the former Coalition government established the $5 billion Future Drought Fund in 2019, in the midst of one of the worst droughts in the country.
This funding should be tapped to prepare communities to initiate their own "grassroots projects to build drought resilience" in ways that are "transformative and innovative", Mr Coulton said.
In the Parkes electorate, most drought-ravaged towns are eligible to apply for a share of a $12.1 million funding to prepare them for the next drought.
"The Future Drought Fund is all about giving individuals and communities the tools and information to make their own decisions about how best to prepare for drought.
"These grants will help rural communities adapt to drier seasons by strengthening their networks and capabilities. It's all about building the drought resilience needed for the tough times ahead."
Grants between $200,000 and $500,000 are available for projects that support drought preparedness.
It could be used for a range of community-led projects including networking events, training and development, capability building and small infrastructure upgrades, Mr Coulton said.
The funding grant is being delivered through the $29.6 million Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative under the $5 billion drought fund.
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Elizabeth Frias
I began my news reporting days in western and inner west Sydney before joining the Daily Liberal's Dubbo NSW newsroom. Telling all sorts of stories about people, places and events is my daily preoccupation so email me at elizabeth.frias@austcommunitymedia.com.au and I'll be in touch!
I began my news reporting days in western and inner west Sydney before joining the Daily Liberal's Dubbo NSW newsroom. Telling all sorts of stories about people, places and events is my daily preoccupation so email me at elizabeth.frias@austcommunitymedia.com.au and I'll be in touch!
