Today’s $100 million drought package announced by Premier Brumby is an intelligent response to the problems regional communities are facing, says VECCI.

"Today’s drought package is a genuine and intelligent attempt to come to grips with the consequences of our worst drought on record", says VECCI CEO Wayne Kayler-Thomson.

"It clearly heeds the message from VECCI and regional communities that the drought is impacting beyond the farming sector - VECCI’s Drought Survey, undertaken in December 2006, indicated that 59 percent of Victorian businesses were impacted by the drought, a figure that rose to 79 percent in regional Victoria.

"The initiatives surrounding skills transfer, business advice and support and tourism marketing support are welcomed - the funding for business support and advice in particular will be useful in terms of advising businesses on the long-term sustainability of their enterprises, as well as alternative opportunities. Long-term planning to sustain affected communities should be a focus as well as short-term assistance.

"The water rebates to irrigators will also help underpin the future of some agricultural industries by assisting in avoiding situations where trees and vines are ploughed back into the ground, diminishing entire downstream industries as well as individual farms", says Mr Kayler-Thomson.