The design, delivery, and evaluation of Commonwealth drought programs will be improved after two recent reviews.
Conducted by the National Drought and North Queensland Flood Response and Recovery Agency, the reviews examined the consistency and complexity of eligibility criteria and ease of access to information about the support available for drought-impacted farmers, communities, and small business.
Since 2018-19, the Commonwealth has implemented 25 measures that commit more than $10 billion in drought response, recovery, and preparedness.
The agency said it is “already working to address issues raised around eligibility for drought programs and is undertaking work in conjunction with a range of other collaborators.
“Part of this work will include developing a more consistent approach to defining when regions move into, and out of, drought.
“This includes enhancing climatic, social, and economic indicators that can help guide eligibility for drought support programs.”
The two reviews can be downloaded from the agency’s webpage.