Tasmania’s peak farming body TasFarmers will receive $171,000 through a joint funding initiative to support drought affected communities on King Island and across Tasmania.
The Tasmanian Government, through the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania, is partnering with the TAS Farm Innovation Hub, an Australian Government Future Drought Fund initiative, to provide the funding that will support the rural community during these unseasonably dry conditions.
The hub will initially provide $26,000 with the Tasmania Government providing the balance of the funds. This will allow TasFarmers to provide community drought support, including the employment of a new King Island Community Drought Coordinator and an online Tasmanian Fodder Hub.
The on-island coordinator will assist farmers to prepare for, respond and recover from drought by connecting them to supply chain and logistics participants, collating relevant farm-level information, linking farmers to tools, information, programs, resources and other support networks, as well as raise issues on their behalf.
The online Tasmanian Fodder Hub will provide a central register to help access fodder on farms for farmers on King Island, Flinders Island and mainland Tasmania.
The commitment follows the King Island Livestock Supply Chain Round Table held on Friday 15 March 2024.
The meeting acknowledged the significance of the current situation on King Island and the impacts being felt by farmers and the local community. The roundtable also heard the concerns about the consequences of the situation deteriorating in coming months.