Federal Drought Minister David Littleproud has won support through the Ministerial Council for a new working group to try to integrate Commonwealth, state and territory drought-relief programs.
Mr Littleproud said the working group, a partnership between a new National Drought Agency and National Farmers’ Federation, would remove inefficiencies and doubling up to improve access for affected farms and communities to recovery programs.
He said the group would improve program effectiveness and ensure the right assistance was delivered at the right time, to farmers and communities.
He said ministers also agreed the group would be a standing item on the Ministerial Council agenda.