‘There have always been tough times and lush times,’ says prime minister on tour of drought-affected regions

Tony Abbott dismissed talk of links between the drought and climate change as he prepared to announce a disaster relief package for farmers.

Speaking in Broken Hill on the second day of his tour of drought-stricken regions in New South Wales and Queensland, the prime minister was asked about the effects of climate change on Australia.

“If you look at the records of Australian agriculture going back 150 years, there have always been good times and bad times,” he said. “There have always been tough times and lush times and farmers ought to be able to deal with the sorts of things that are expected every few years.”

When asked if it was possible some farming land may become unviable, Abbott replied that drought was “not a new thing in Australia”.

“From the very beginning of settlement there have been arguments about what is the appropriate limit to farming, what is the appropriate limit to grazing,” he said.

A drought package is being put together to take to cabinet in the next week, with backing from the agriculture minister, Barnaby Joyce, who is also on the tour with Abbott.

Lowering interest rates from 4.5% and extensions of 10 to 15 years for farming loans; lifting asset tests on income support payments for farming; and a reduction in the populations of kangaroos and wild dogs are major considerations for the package, Guardian Australia understands.

The potential farming loans package would be worth an extra $280m.

The National Farmers’ Federation is pushing for reforms to the farm management deposits scheme to allow farmers to access deposits made within the last year with no taxation penalty. It is understood this is considered a reasonable request but there is not a big appetite for it in cabinet.

A new farming household package is due to come into effect on 1 July. It will provide income assistance at Newstart rates to farming families, without the need for drought or exceptional circumstances to be declared.

The package may be tweaked to increase the asset threshold, as many farmers will be cut off from the allowance because they are worth too much on paper.

Abbott has emphasised any package should be seen as disaster assistance, not a business handout.

“Where the ordinary preparations that prudent farmers could be expected to make for the ordinary weather patterns that you’d expect [are made], when those weather patterns become particularly extreme, when the rain deficiency becomes utterly prolonged, that’s when it becomes a natural disaster and [that’s] when the government ought to be there to lend a hand,” he said in Broken Hill.

Earlier in the morning he said income support for farmers was something people could expect to see “ramped up” in the government package.

On ABC radio he referred to the problems of kangaroos and wild dogs in drought country. It is understood farmers are asking to cull wild dogs and to “develop international markets” for kangaroo meat, with a particular focus on Russia and China. The government is considering ways to develop “humane harvesting” of kangaroo meat that would meet international animal safety and food standards. When farmers clear their farms of stock to preserve the land during the drought it is not uncommon for wild dogs, kangaroos and goats to move onto the land and use it for grazing.

“I’d learnt some years ago on my Pollie Pedal bike ride that wild dogs were a difficulty in the high country of Victoria, but I now discover that this is a much more widespread problem,” Abbott told ABC radio on Monday morning.

“And much as we love our kangaroos – they’re on our coat of arms, they’re in a sense a national symbol – at times like this, in very large numbers, the kangaroos are a real difficulty because they’re eating the feed that would otherwise be going to the sheep or cattle.”

The prime minister ruled out setting up a permanent drought relief fund to be drawn on by farmers whenever a drought hit, saying it was not something the government would consider until the budget was in surplus.

The NFF released its proposed drought package, which is supported by the Labor party, last week in parliament.

The shadow minister for agriculture, Joel Fitzgibbon, said in a statement the prime minister’s tour of the drought-affected region had produced plenty of pictures but no action.

“Labor is disappointed the first parliamentary sitting week passed without the government introducing a farm household support bill,” he said on Monday. “We’re even more disappointed that farmers are being told that any decision for drought assistance will have to wait until next week, leaving them once again waiting for any real and immediate support.”