Drought relief extension
The State's toughest drought on record continues to bite, impacting our communities. While some regions have experienced rain during the past few months, 97 per cent of the state remains in drought. This week the NSW Government has today announced an Emergency Drought Relief package, bringing the total funding to more than $1.8 billion across the state, to further support farmers and regional communities. The additional support will assist local farmers and businesses, including on-farm measures such as transport subsidies and waiving land rates, and off-farm measures to boost the local economy and support the community. The extension of the Emergency Drought Relief package means more assistance for primary producers, more infrastructure to provide safe and secure water supplies, and investments aimed at stimulating the local economy.
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The extended drought assistance measures for 2019/20 include:
$185 million for on-farm Emergency Drought Relief Package support measures including transport cost rebates for fodder, stock and water and the waiving of annual land rates.
$36 million in funds to support rural and regional communities including mental health, sporting grants, money for pre-schools and skilled pathway opportunities.
$55 million in the Emergency Drought Relief Package for water infrastructure projects, emergency water carting, improving town drinking water, reducing water wastage and rebates for water licenses.
The NSW Government has also established a $170 million Drought Infrastructure and Stimulus Package for regional areas as we know that it's not just the farmers who are struggling - this drought is hurting our local businesses and communities. For more detail on available drought support measures, visit www.droughthub.nsw.gov.au.
Online pet profiles
Dog and cat owners in the Bathurst are taking advantage of new and improved online systems to register their pets from the comfort of their own homes. We are making life easier for citizens by linking more and more transactions to the MyService NSW Account. The pet registry is a great example of how we are helping people to save time and money by delivering more digital service options.
The recently added features of the NSW Pet Registry include:
Upload a photo of your pet - Pet owners and breeders can upload a photo of their pet on the Pet Profile page to help identify and return the animal should it get lost.
Lost and found - If the microchip number of a lost cat or dog is known, a member of the public can use the Registry to send a secure message to the pet owner with their contact details alerting them that they have found their pet.
Search function - Prospective pet owners can use the Registry to find out important information before buying a cat or dog. Using a microchip number, they can access the animal's breed, age, gender and whether or not it is desexed.
Create/add a litter - Breeders can create a litter and add offspring to their online pet profile, making it easier for vets to update animal records.
Creating a NSW Pet Registry profile is the easiest way for you to be contacted if your missing pet is found. We all want to keep our pets safe, and this is making it easier to keep track of our furry friends!
