THERE is mounting pressure on the federal government to continue its On-Farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme, with SA Primary Industries Minister Tim Whetstone and Livestock SA writing to Water Minister Keith Pitt in an effort to secure additional funding for SA landholders.
It comes after the scheme's $50 million in funds were exhausted.
Funds were administered differently in each state, with the SA government providing more than $5m in matching funds and lifting the rebate from 25 per cent to 50pc of new water infrastructure costs up to $50,000 for landholders in drought-affected areas.
A surge in demand after the rebate was lifted forced a close to new applications, with more than 400 applications still on hand expected to exhaust remaining funds.
Under the scheme's initial eligibility criteria, applications required evidence of expenditure, meaning some landholders with projects still in progress or completed after funds ran out - but planned with the intention of receiving a rebate - were left to shoulder the entire cost.
Eligibility criteria in SA was changed to allow pre-approvals only when the state government lifted the rebate.
In a letter to Mr Pitt, Livestock SA president Joe Keynes expressed gratitude for the scheme, but said large areas of SA were still in drought.
"For these families, businesses, and communities there is little that can be done other than to prepare and support each other when times are tough," he wrote.
"This Scheme is well positioned to enable that preparation and support.
"The Scheme has been oversubscribed in South Australia and I am requesting your consideration to extend the Scheme so that more drought affected producers can benefit from installing emergency water infrastructure."
Mr Pitt said the government had committed $50m to the scheme and that had been delivered.
"Funding allocations and conditions were clearly outlined to each participating state, which took responsibility for managing the program in their respective jurisdictions," he said.
Mr Whetstone said he had met with Agriculture Minister David Littleproud and written to Mr Pitt to investigate ways to extend the program.
"The Commonwealth are listening so we've just got to state our case," he said.
"All states have reported excess demand for the on-farm water rebate scheme and will discuss with the Commonwealth whether further funding may be available but we have to remember this was always announced as a once-off opportunity.
"Most of the on-farm water infrastructure projects make a lot of sense for the individual farm enterprise and I encourage farmers to consider investing in drought resilient water solutions as a good business risk management option with or without government assistance."
Underlining the benefits of the scheme are improvements made to the Robertstown sheep and cropping enterprise of brothers Aaron and Simon Niemz.
Coping with a four-year drought and dry dams, the Niemz brothers gained pre-approval to sink a new bore to improve water supply and equipped two bores with a solar pump to supply an on-farm feedlot, tanks and troughs.
They also installed six kilometres of piping, six tanks and six troughs, with new access to multiple watering points allowing them to split their ewes into separate paddocks for lambing.
"Having them contained with easy access to water and feed has helped us increase lambing percentages to 95pc, compared to 75pc when they were free-ranging," Aaron said.
Simon said the water infrastructure had been bought from and installed by local companies, providing a boost to local business, while Aaron said it had improved the sustainability of their property considerably.
"It's not just a handout, you put your own money towards it and you're better equipping your property for droughts," Aaron said.
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