Australian farmers await drought relief package

Farmers may have to wait a few days yet for an Australian Government relief package, discussed yesterday in Cabinet, that is likely to deliver a major overhaul of the A$1 billion ($1.07 billion) national drought assistance scheme.

The relief overhaul comes as a Government MP warned that a major winter crop failure may force the commonwealth to consider a broader rural reconstruction scheme to help farmers and the communities which rely on them through the big dry.

Half of Australia's arable land is in drought.