00:00Hot and dry.
00:04It's been a common theme across the state
00:08and regional businesses are feeling it. The flow on effect for
00:12our farmers not spending is that we're not able to spend,
00:16our clients aren't able to spend, which is really starting to get a little bit
00:20scary. With little rain yields are down and so is cash flow.
00:24Especially just last month, March, was probably the worst
00:28months we've had in years. Gym memberships are
00:32dropping in Clare, Borough and Balaclava. The first thing to go to the gym
00:36they need to eat. Business owners on the Eyre
00:40Peninsula are also feeling the dry. We went through a period
00:44after Christmas where I had to cut down staff and I
00:48reduced my menu as well. We were down over
00:5260%. And there's concern about the potential long term effects.
00:56Once the hairdresser's gone, once the sandwich shop
01:00is gone, once the inputs business
01:02is gone, they don't
01:04come back. Major party candidates
01:06in regional South Australia say
01:08they will support small businesses if they
01:10win the federal election. The coalition
01:12is offering $1.8 million
01:14over six months to extend
01:16the rural financial counselling service
01:18and Labor says it is backing
01:20regional resilience through the
01:22$519 million future drought fund. This water specialist
01:26says the relief everyone is hoping
01:28for could still be months away.
01:30No, everyone's hanging out for rain
01:32but usually
01:34it doesn't start until around June
01:36here it seems, the last few years.
01:38Communities forced to push through.
01:40Push through.
01:42Push through.
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