DROUGHT-affected farmers across the Upper Hunter will have the opportunity to meet and speak directly with service providers about assistance available when the Drought Community Outreach Convoy rolls into town next week.
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Member for New England and Special Envoy for Drought Assistance and Recovery Barnaby Joyce said government agencies would be on hand to assess individual situations and provide help accessing drought support.
The Drought Community Outreach Convoy is scheduled to be at the Scone Bowling Club, in Gundy Street, on Tuesday, February 5, between 9am and noon.
They will be supported by the NBN Co’s Sky Muster satellite vehicles, which will provide a free WiFi service to assist in lodging online claims for drought assistance.
“People are busy enough in drought without having to drive hundreds of kilometres to seek support, so government service providers are coming to see them in town,” Mr Joyce said.
Australian Government agencies available will include the Australian Tax Office, Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (including Rural Financial Counsellors and the Regional Investment Corporation), Department of Human Services, Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities and the Department of Jobs and Small Business.
“It’s not only financial assistance that this visit can help with, it’s also about making sure people are in the right mental space as well,” Mr Joyce said.
“We want to ensure people across the New England have the best support we can provide and that’s what these days are all about.”
The Scone visit follows trips to Parkes, Forbes and Condobolin in mid-January before more than a dozen stops to more NSW towns in the coming weeks.