Today I joined with my NSW Labor colleagues in calling on the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government to expand the existing Drought Assistance Fund to include small businesses.

Our NSW Labor Leader Jodi McKay MP has continued her tour of drought-affected NSW. Yesterday Jodi visited Armidale with Shadow Minister for Finance and Small Business Daniel Mookhey.



Jodi and Danielmet with local Councillors and small business owners to discuss the droughts grip on rural economies. It came amid shocking news that the Liberal and Nationals Government has made the states Drought Coordinator role redundant in the midst of the water crisis.



During her visit Jodisaid, "Our regions are battling the worst drought on record. While recent rain has been a welcome reprieve for farmers, the hardship is far from over. Communities are struggling to cope - everywhere from the rural supply store to the pub are hurting and more needs to be done."



My NSW Labor colleagues and I arecalling on the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government to expand the existing Drought Assistance Fund to include small businesses.



Daniel said, The economic hurt here is clear; people are reluctant to spend and the economy isnt coping. These communities are anxiously waiting for help, and they need immediate action. A practical solution the government could deploy right now is to expand the Drought Assistance Fund to small businesses so they too can access loans with deferred interest.



The Country Womens Association has already called for the widening of the eligibility of the fund beyond farms to small businesses.



Jodi McKaymet with representatives of the Country Womens Association in Armidale yesterday, as well as the Armidale Business Chamber and University of New England.



In the coming weeks, my Labor colleagues will continue listening to people on the ground, and unveil further measures to help these drought-affected communities, that the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government should adopt.



We are also demanding that the Liberal Premier Gladys Berejiklian strip the Nationals of the water portfolio due to their bungling and gross incompetence.



Jodi McKay said, A new dam hasnt been built in eight years, the Nationals in NSW have failed to heed warnings after a decade of doing nothing and now towns are running out of water.



This is a water crisis and Armidale is one of the worst affected, we need real action, not empty promises.