According to the Department of Primary Industries, land from around Guyra right down the state to the border with Victoria is officially in drought while much of the other agricultural land northwards through Glen Innes is in “drought onset”.

Last month, the businessman Dick Smith gave a million dollars to help drought-affected farm families, He's working with the CWA to allocate themoney. the new donation is in addition to Mr Smith’s.

The CWA said: “Many NSW regions are experiencing some of the driest conditions in recent memory after record-low rainfall and a warmer-than-average autumn”.

The NSW president of the organisation, Annette Turner, said an increasing number of farmers were being pushed to the financial brink.

“Releasing this money from the Disaster Relief Fund is something tangible we can do for these families in need. We can’t make it rain but we can try to ease a little of their short-term financial pain”, Mrs Turner said.

“We appreciate it’s only a small amount compared with the level of hardship out there, but this funding is designed to help people with the household needs and expenses they have right now.”

Grant payments will be made up to a maximum of $3000 per individual applicant and/or household and are available for farming businesses that are drought-affected and reliant on farming as their primary source of income.

The money can be used for the likes of groceries, vehicle maintenance, school expenses, household bills and medical costs.

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