Drought Assistance
The current drought has highlighted the importance of water to the economy, community, and environment. For more than 10 years, a large part of the State has struggled with rainfall significantly below the long-term average. Its severity has been unprecedented, and its impact has been widespread across Victoria.
Over the past 10 years, run-off into the Murray Darling Basin, a critical resource to Victoria’s and the nation’s well-being, has reduced by half compared to the pre-1997 average.
Drought assistance is available. On October 24, 2007, Premier John Brumby announced a further $100 million in assistance to help rural communities battling the worst drought on record – on top of the $178 million already allocated in the past two years.
For more information on the Victorian Government's range of drought assistance initiatives, visit the Department of Primary Industries' Drought Information for Victoria website.