Drought assistance and sources of support

The Australian Government's drought response, resilience and preparedness plan consists of three focus areas:

  1. Immediate action for those in drought
  • Farm Household Allowance
  • Rural Financial Counsellors
  • Wellbeing
  • Drought Community Support Initiative
  • Regional Investment Corporation
  • Tax deductions
  • Drought Map
  • Climate and weather
  • Pest & weed Management
  • Water for fodder
  • Water infrastructure

  1. Support for the wider communities affected by drought
  • Drought communities programme extension
  • Tackling Tough Times Together grants
  • Building Better Regions Fund
  • Roads to Recovery
  • School Special Circumstances Funding
  • Community Child Care Fund
  • Drought Communities Small Business Support Program

  1. Long-term resilience and preparedness
  • Future Drought Fund
  • Australian Government plan
  • CSIRO Drought Resilience Mission

For specific detail and information on all of these click on this link to explore more -  Drought and rural support - DAFF

Government assistance

Useful links to government assistance:


Assistance directories and tools

There are a number of web pages that bring together services, support and assistance from government, organisations and charities. These resources are updated regularly to include new services and update existing information about programs as required. They offer a useful starting point in finding available financial assistance. Many of these sites collate all types of funding making it easy to find out what is available.

  • FarmHub -  an Australian Government initiative administered by the National Farmers' Federation. It is a comprehensive directory of government and private sources of assistance available to farmers by state.                      

Explore - Farm Business Assistance | FarmHub

  • Australian Government - Recovery Connect helping find assistance and support Recovery Connect
  • Australian Government Business - grants and programs finder tool            

Grants and programs finder | business.gov.au

Charities and organisations offering assistance

A list of organisations that have been know to provide support during drought are:

Business Energy Advice Program

Managing Future Droughts

After experiencing many droughts, the focus has now turned to how to use the experience gained to better prepare for the next one. The links below outline resources and initiatives in place to help individuals and communities better manage the risks associated with drought:

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Drought Research Reports

Managing weeds and pests during drought (06/24)

It is important to understand weed ecology during drought to establish an effective weed management plan.

Options for portable livestock handling equipment (06/24)

Several options available to producers to ensure that livestock are handled safely and efficiently.

Diversification To Add Resilience (05/24)

Branching out - tips for additional revenue streams on farm

Resilient Communities In Dry Times (05/24)

Resilience is seen as a buzzword of disaster responses. For some, “building resilience” is seen as an excuse for governments to opt out of providing support during dry times or following disruptions such as fire or flood.

Annual Reviews

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