The NSW Nationals have slammed the Minns Labor Government for making it almost impossible for farmers to qualify for drought support, as southern parts of the state suffer through the toughest conditions in decades.
New data has revealed only about a quarter of applicants have been approved for assistance under Labor's Drought Ready and Resilient Fund after the government made key changes to the assessment process.
By contrast The Nationals' billion dollar Farm Innovation Fund, which was renamed the Drought Infrastructure Fund, had an approval rating of about 80 per cent, with almost 6500 successful applications since 2019.
NSW Nationals Leader Dugald Saunders said the changes have led to a large number of people being deemed ineligible.
"The Minns Labor Government has sneakily switched up the assessment process making it extremely difficult for our primary producers to access the funding," Mr Saunders said.
"It's creating budget savings by stealth while allowing our farmers to suffer the consequences, at a time where they are in urgent need of help.
"When you have more luck getting a loan from a bank than qualifying for a government program, you know something is going incredibly wrong."
The NSW Nationals highlighted the devastating 12-months producers have been through in a Notice of Motion put forward by Upper House MP Nichole Overall in Parliament last week.
It called for the government to act immediately and decisively to deliver direct drought relief and support to regional, rural, and remote communities, but was voted down by Labor and the Greens.
"Mayors from the impacted regions have been screaming out for more meaningful and targeted support after a prolonged period of hardship, yet the Agriculture Minister is quite literally not showing up for them," Mr Saunders said.
"Failing to prepare is preparing to fail, which is exactly what we're seeing here, and the Minns Government needs a complete rethink of this fake assistance.
"We will continue to keep standing up for our communities and fighting for what our farmers need."
