Agricultural
22 February, 2026
Water in Demand as Drought Tightens Grip Across Southern Australia: Rural Aid
In 2026 alone, Rural Aid has received 231 requests for water tanks, highlighting the scale of the challenge.
While floods, bushfires, and cyclones have dominated recent headlines, drought remains a pressing concern for farming families across Australia.
Rural Aid has received a surge in requests for assistance, particularly for household drinking water – a daily necessity that has become increasingly scarce on drought-affected properties.
Farmers across southern and eastern Australia are facing prolonged dry conditions. According to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), January rainfall was well below average, ranking among the driest 10% of Januarys on record since 1900, across most of Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, South Australia, and large parts of Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and Queensland.
Victoria and New South Wales saw their lowest January rainfall totals since 2013 and 2014 respectively. Some water storages in the eastern and southern states have also declined by up to 50% compared to this time last year, adding to the daily challenges for farming families.
Looking ahead, rainfall is likely to be below average for much of the countries south, suggesting dry conditions may continue for farming families in these regions.
Rural Aid Chief Executive Officer John Warlters said, “For people in the city, it’s easy to take clean water from the tap for granted. But for hundreds of farming families in drought-affected regions, this simply isn’t the case. Access to reliable household water has become a daily challenge, and it affects every part of life on the farm.”
Rural Aid has been delivering water as on-farm stocks run low, providing household water to help manage daily routines and care for their families.
“Drought brings multiple pressures at once,” Mr Warlters said. “Even small support, like access to water tanks or wellbeing resources, can make a real difference.”
Rural Aid continues to provide practical assistance and wellbeing support to farmers affected by drought.
“Drought may not always make the headlines, but it hasn’t gone away,” Mr Warlters said. “We want farming families to know help is available and that Rural Aid is here to support them.”
