New South Wales Farmers Battle Crippling Drought

COONABARABRAN , NEW SOUTH WALES - JUNE 17: Harry Taylor, 6, plays on the dust bowl his family farm has become during the drought. In the Central Western region of New South Wales, Australia, farmers continue to battle a crippling drought which many locals are calling the worst since 1902. In Warrumbungle Shire, where sharp peaks fall away to once fertile farmland the small town of Coonabarabran is running out of water. The town dam is down to just 23% capacity, forcing residents to live with level six water restrictions. The New South Wales State government recently approved an emergency drought relief package of A$600m, of which at least A$250m is allocated for low interest loans to assist eligible farm businesses to recover. The package has been welcomed, though in the words of a local farmer "it barely touches the sides". Now with the real prospect of a dry El-Nino weather pattern hitting the state in Spring, the longer term outlook for rain here is dire. June 17, 2018 in Coonabarabran, Australia. (Photo by Brook Mitchell/Getty Images)