A $480m emergency relief package for drought-hit farms in the Aldenne Valley passed its first Assembly reading on Tuesday, as the agriculture ministry confirmed the valley is experiencing its driest summer since records began in 1963.
The bill funds direct hardship payments of up to $60,000 per holding, a fodder transport subsidy, and a deferral of water-abstraction charges through 2027. Rainfall across the valley since April stands 61 per cent below the long-term average, and the Velta’s tributaries are at their lowest recorded summer flows.
“This is a bridge, not a blank cheque,” Agriculture Minister Sorel Vance told members, pairing the relief with $120m for drought-resilient irrigation to be match-funded by regional water boards.
Farm groups welcomed the speed but questioned the scale. The Aldenne Growers’ Association estimates crop losses this season alone at $700m. “The bridge needs to reach the far bank,” said its president, Corin Maas.
The Concord Party will support the package while pressing to widen eligibility to contract growers, who currently fall outside the hardship criteria. Second reading is scheduled for the first week of the autumn session; ministers say payments could begin within eight weeks of royal assent.