29th November 2006The Nationals Member for Burrinjuck, Katrina Hodgkinson, wants NSW Minister for Lands, Tony Kelly, to extend the waiver of lease payments to all rural landholders in NSW.
Ms Hodgkinson said landholders in the Western Division have had their lease payments waived by the Department of Lands since 2002.
She said extending the existing waiver available to landholders in the Western Division to the rest of rural NSW would make a significant contribution to the ability of many landholders to survive this drought.
“Most rural landholders in the Burrinjuck electorate have been in drought or near drought conditions for the past five years,” Ms Hodgkinson said.
“Yet the bills do not stop.
“Many landholders have contacted my office to say that they have to make a decision between feeding stock they are trying to keep alive or paying bills such as Crown Land lease payments and land rates.”
SOURCE: The Land, NSW’s weekly rural newspaper, updated daily by FarmOnline.
