The farmers said that big businesses, small businesses, communities, farms and townships have all been impacted by the drought and by Monday, they want the hashtag to be displayed in shop windows, mailboxes, car windows and everywhere else possible to gain the PM’s attention. People across Australia have already started using the hashtag on social media, with hundreds of pictures already being uploaded in a matter of days. One shocking photograph shows a farmer and his sheep on dry grass. Another shows a person’s lawn that was once green turned to nothing but dust, while others have simply shared photos of them and the hashtag at their property. It comes as the Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management David Littleproud announced that a group of eminent Australians has been established to help deliver $100 million in drought resilience and preparedness programs to communities every year through the Future Drought Fund. Hailed the Future Drought Fund Consultative Committee, Littleproud said the committee would develop the Drought Resilience Funding Plan for the Fund, which begins with a $3.9 billion credit that will grow to $5 billion.

“The Australian Government is getting on with the job of building nationwide drought resilience. The Future Drought Fund was established to give drought-prone Australians the best tools to plan and prepare for drought and sustain their livelihoods and communities,” Littleproud said on Tuesday. “To ensure best use of the Future Drought Fund, the Consultative Committee will seek input directly from drought-vulnerable communities for the Drought Resilience Funding Plan.” He added that the committee is made up of people with track records of success in agricultural economics, managing climate risk, rural and regional development and natural resource management. They’re also from rural and regional communities across the country. The PM announced the funding allocation of $5 billion last October, which he said would help rural workers through “non-rainy days in the future”. The sum of $3.9 billion dollars will increase to $5 billion within 10 years and just $100 million will be released each year from July 1, 2020. Of course, it’s not the first time people have taken to social media to share their horror stories from the drought, with an Australian mum making headlines earlier this month by comparing the situation to “Armageddon”. Penny Lamaro took to Facebook and said that her eyes are stinging “with the dreams and hopes of small families trying to ‘make it’ on the land”.