The process to determine drought declarations in Queensland will be reviewed with recommendations made on options to improve the process following concerns around secrecy.
The review will be conducted by former AgForce CEO Charles Burke, with recommendations to be made to Agriculture Minister Mark Furner later this year.
Since being established in 1982, Local Drought Committees (LDCs) have supported decisions on Queensland's drought situation.
The LDC system was designed to financially support farmers in drought.
Local committees generally meet at the end of each wet season to make recommendations to the agriculture minister on whether an area should be drought-declared.
However, councils often don't even know who the committee members are because their identities are kept secret.
Bizarrely, some LDC members don't even live in the local government area they provide advice on.
Flinders Shire Council mayor Jane McNamara is calling for "a complete overhaul".
"I want a complete review and transparency, because at the moment, it's a secret squirrel society where the members are supposed to be anonymous," Ms McNamara said.
"I want the local governments in the affected areas to be part of the local drought committee - especially the rural and remote councils, because our councillors know what's going on in the shire."
Ms McNamara wants to see either a councillor or a land department officer on the committee.
The review was pledged as part of the Queensland government's drought reforms announced in 2019, but the state government says it was delayed due to COVID-19 after consultation with industry groups.
Mr Furner said with less than 10 per cent of Queensland now drought-declared, this was the right time to take this next step in the reform process.
"The review of Local Drought Committees, how drought declarations are made and how they can best support our agricultural industries is an important step in making sure support for farmers to prepare for and manage drought is modern and fit-for-purpose," Mr Furner said.
The LDC system was designed to support the payment of freight subsidies to drought-affected primary producers under the Drought Relief Assistance Scheme.
However, the new Queensland Drought programs, such as drought preparedness grants and drought ready and recovery loans, do not rely on a drought declaration.
While DRAS subsidies are being phased out and won't apply to future drought declarations, other programs such as water licence waivers and electricity charge relief may still be available in future droughts. These assistance measures currently rely on declarations.
Mr Burke's review will assess and provide analysis on current arrangements for LDCs and whether they are appropriate; provide alternative policy options for future drought declarations or alternative triggers; and advise on the purposes of future drought declarations and their nature.
The review process will include a targeted consultation process with stakeholders including with the existing members of LDCs.
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