$66 MILLION TO STRENGTHEN VICTORIAN DROUGHT RESILIENCE

More than $66 million will be invested by the Federal and Victorian Governments to help farmers and regional communities prepare for future drought.

The funding will extend the Farm Business Resilience and Regional Drought Resilience Planning programs through to 2029, building on Victoria’s $146.5 million drought support package.

The farm program provides training in business management and drought preparedness, while regional funding will support projects identified through local drought resilience plans.

Up to $1.5 million will be available in each Victorian region, with the programs having already helped more than four-thousand people and supported the development or updating of more than 24,000 farm business plans.

Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins says the investment will help farmers and regional communities prepare for changing drought and climate conditions.