Drought-affected shires in Western Australia's remote rangelands and wheatbelt are gearing up for a fight with the Federal Government after they were told they did not qualify for a drought grants program.

Key points: Of the 35 WA councils that can now access drought funds none are from the rangelands, in the grip of some of the driest weather in up to a century

Of the 35 WA councils that can now access drought funds none are from the rangelands, in the grip of some of the driest weather in up to a century A hay convoy donated much needed fodder to desperate pastoralists in the southern rangelands in January

A hay convoy donated much needed fodder to desperate pastoralists in the southern rangelands in January Those that made the drought list include Busselton with 4.8 per cent of people employed in agriculture and Albany with 6.8 per cent

It is a severe blow to those in the southern rangelands of WA who have battled to get recognition that their vast regions are in drought.

Last week, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Drought Minister David Littleproud announced another 52 councils would be added to the list of those able to apply for the Drought Communities Program.

Under this scheme, councils could apply for up to $1 million for relevant projects.

WA makes drought list

For the first time, 35 WA councils were included on this list.

"This drought has spread like a cancer," Mr Littleproud said last week during the announcement, "right down the east coast and now right across the Nullarbor into Western Australia".

"We want this to be locally led, not Canberra led," he said.

During the press conference it was also revealed a number of changes had been made to this program criteria after review by consulting company EY.

Mt Clere Station received less than 25mm rain in 2019. ( ABC News: Chris Lewis )

The criteria for the fund became the subject of contention last year when Victorian shire Moyne, experiencing one of its best springs in years, rejected the opportunity to apply despite being considered eligible.

And last week the ABC revealed almost half of the councils the Federal Government announced would be eligible for these same drought grants during the election did not meet the funding criteria.

Moyne Shire Council in south-west Victoria declined the funds after being considered eligible for drought funding. ( ABC News: Daniel Miles )

Rangelands 'in forgotten drought'

Of the 35 councils which can now access these drought funds, none are from the rangelands which is in the grip of some of the driest weather in up to a century.

This is despite Mr Littleproud visiting the southern rangelands in November last year and promising he would look at changing some drought assistance criteria.

Recently, 20 trucks from southern parts of WA drove more than 2,000 bales of donated hay through the southern rangelands, delivering much needed fodder to desperate pastoralists.

Some pastoralists in WA's southern rangelands recorded less than 50mm of rain last year. ( Supplied: Ascend Films )

At Mundrabilla Station, about 400 kilometres east of Norseman in the Dundas Shire, its owners say last year broke 117-year rainfall records.

Dundas Shire chief executive Peter Fitchat oversees a 92,000-hectare jurisdiction which starts east of Hyden, at the edge of WA's agriculture region, extending all the way to the South Australia border.

Shire of Dundas president Laurene Bonza and CEO Peter Fitchat oversee an area of about 92,000 square kilometres. ( ABC Esperance: Emma Field )

He has also questioned the weather data eligibility criteria, saying the BOM station at Norseman is about 120 kilometres from the nearest pastoral lease.

"We've got concerns and we want clarification," he said.

"[Pastoralists] are carting water. They are trying to destock. Now if these things are not recognised and doesn't warrant assistance … it just doesn't add up."

At Mt Clere Station in the Murchison, prior to recent small rainfall this year, 2019 was one of its driest years its owners could remember.

Zoe Hayes works at Mt Clere, helped fund the Farmers Across Borders hay run to Meekatharra, and is also a mental health advocate.

"It's been brutal. It's heartbreaking to see animals in they state they are due to the lack of rain," Ms Hayes said.

"Everyone has been struggling."

For the councils which have missed out on the chance to access the drought schemes it has caused confusion and anger.

Especially when the large tourist town of Busselton made the list — which according to ABS only has 4.8 per cent of people employed in agriculture in 2016.

Albany also made the list where only 6.8 per cent of the workforce were in agriculture.

Changes to the Drought Communities Program, according to the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development, stated:

the Government will take two consecutive years of rainfall data, instead of 12 months;

the Government will take two consecutive years of rainfall data, instead of 12 months; rainfall deficiency criteria is met when Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) data shows more than half of a local government area is in the "lowest five percent of rainfall observations or the fifth percentile" in the last 100 years;

rainfall deficiency criteria is met when Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) data shows more than half of a local government area is in the "lowest five percent of rainfall observations or the fifth percentile" in the last 100 years; between 7 to 12 per cent of people who live in the shire need to work in agriculture or "related downstream manufacturing employment", down from 17 per cent of people working in agriculture, fisheries and forestry;

between 7 to 12 per cent of people who live in the shire need to work in agriculture or "related downstream manufacturing employment", down from 17 per cent of people working in agriculture, fisheries and forestry; employment data will be "the percentage of full time positions in agriculture and downstream manufacturing by place of residence, instead of just the percentage of people working in agriculture"; and

employment data will be "the percentage of full time positions in agriculture and downstream manufacturing by place of residence, instead of just the percentage of people working in agriculture"; and ministerial judgement about whether semi metropolitan shires should be included.

City of Bussleton Mayor Grant Henley admitted "technically we are not in drought" but his region was "suffering the effects of reduced rainfall over a number of years which qualifies us for this funding".

'Kick in the guts' for WA shires

The list of shires allowed to access Drought Communities Program money also excluded many eastern wheatbelt and mid-west shires in the state.

In the north the Greater Geraldton Shire, which includes Mullewa, missed out.

Its mayor Shane Van Styn describes this as a "kick in the guts" and wants a review of the weather data criteria.

"It took an average rainfall figure and looked at how much below a long-term average you were," he said.

"The impacts of lower rainfall is far more severe in areas like this, and particularly those further to our north and the southern rangelands.

"The mid-west suffers from very marginal rainfall permanently, so any slight decrease in rainfall has drastic effects.

"We're upset those drought conditions haven't been recognised in our patch."

Pastoralists across Western Australia are carting water and buying hay to feed stock. ( ABC: Chris Lewis )

It is a sentiment echoed by Morowa shire president and farmer Karen Chappel who also questioned why coastal shires such Irwin and Dandaragan made the cut and they did not.

"At the end of the day it doesn't seem fair," she said.

"It's the first time in my life the whole coast has been declared drought-affected and the inland, including pastoral regions, they're not drought-affected [according to] this particular program."

A group of councils from the goldfields and Murchison region have formed a drought committee to fight the Federal Government decision and other shires will be demanding transparency about criteria and how they missed out.

Federal MP for O'Connor Rick Wilson told the ABC the shires which missed out "didn't meet the criteria".

But said he will write to Mr Littleproud to ask for a review of the decision "based on the fact these shires are enormous … and the BOM data points may not reflect what happens on the rangelands".