While aid assistance is flowing for those affected by the bushfires, a Shooters Fishers and Farmers colleague of Phil Donato's says it's imperative parliament at all levels turns its attention to helping those battling the crippling drought.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Barwon MP Roy Butler believes the government has lost sight of the bigger picture.
"I guess the way I see it is, drought is like the slowest burning bushfire. It still destroys properties, it destroys livelihoods and it takes people's lives," the SFF MP said.
Mr Butler has been touring Barwon, along with Mr Donato, the member for Orange, to witness firsthand the effects of the drought on the electorate.
"Even though [Phil's] got experience out west, I wanted him to come and see with his own eyes and hear with his own ears what's going on, so that when he's prosecuting this case for greater assistance in parliament, he can talk about his own experience," Mr Butler said.
"Because when we get back to parliament I really want to refocus government on drought, because bushfire has really dominated the news cycle."
Communities ... where you've got an overly agricultural dependent economy, they're really suffering.
- Barwon MP Roy Butler
As the drought persists, Mr Butler said communities who are agriculturally driven are suffering with less new money flowing into their economies.
"Nyngan, Cobar, Narrabri, Broken Hill, communities like that have diversified economies where they still have some income from mining, so there's still some new money circulating the community," he said.
"But communities like Bourke where you've got an overly agricultural dependent economy, they're really suffering.
"So we're trying to get government to realise they've got to be doing a lot more, and if their answer is going to be more loans, or long term planning infrastructure-type work then that's not the answer and it's going to miss the mark."
Mr Butler said the tour aimed to help educate members of the SFF party understand the policy initiatives being driven and how they would help bring immediate assistance for communities.
"We had the cabinet out in Bourke in December, no one can deny, the whole NSW cabinet have heard for themselves and seen for themselves what's going on," Mr Butler said.
"No one can deny that what's going on is essentially a natural disaster and it needs that level of response from state and federal governments and what we've seen from the bushfires."
Zaarkacha Marlan
Court and crime reporter at the Daily Liberal. Formerly the sole journalist for the Nyngan Observer, Narromine News and Trangie Advocate.
Court and crime reporter at the Daily Liberal. Formerly the sole journalist for the Nyngan Observer, Narromine News and Trangie Advocate.
