Qld: Beattie to fly to drought areas =2

00-00-0000
Qld: Beattie to fly to drought areas =2

A spokesman for federal Agriculture Minister Warren Truss said the drought list wasopen for discussion.

"This is not the end of the story," the spokesman said.

"It's already been stated by the Prime Minister and minister that where more areascan be shown, as time progresses, to be experiencing the same one-in-20-year rain deficiencythen they will be included," the spokesman said.

The federal government would also consider factors not related to rainfall, such aspersistent dry winds and overgrazing by kangaroos.

The spokesman said the Queensland government was failing drought-hit areas by not lodgingapplications for exceptional circumstances (EC) funding.

While Queensland had lodged one EC application, NSW had lodged 10, he said.

AAP pjo/jfs/ldj/sb

KEYWORD: DROUGHT QLD N/L 2 BRISBANE (REOPENS)