The frost hit hard in the Savernake and Rennie areas and further south about 10 days ago with cereal and canola crops already stressed from low rainfall feeling the full brunt of minus five temperatures.

The council met on Tuesday for the first time since the frost events and with the prospect of poor harvest returns this year it agreed to a rate review for farmers in the lead-up to next year’s budget.

It will also lobby the federal government for inclusion in drought support programs after being snubbed in the recent announcement where 35 councils in drought-hit areas in NSW and Queensland were eligible for up to $1 million in assistance.

Cr Bronwyn Thomas also called upon council to come up with strategies for farmers to survive the drought and Cr Fred Longmire pushed for the rate reduction consideration.

“The people I’ve spoken to are really, really concerned about the mental confidence our farming families are going through,” Cr Thomas said.

“They need to be given strategies and skills in these challenging times, not only for finances, but their well-being.

“It’s not only 2018 because it’s going to move onto in 2019.”

Cr Longmire said the rate rise up to 14.9 per cent in some sections of the old Corowa Shire agreed to during the period of administration was unfair, particularly those relying on revenue from crops.

“I’m not taking away anything from other people in the state, but charity sometimes starts at home,” he said.

“Without being greedy, selfish or whatever, the farming community in the old Corowa Shire last year had their rates rise by 14.9 per cent.

“But there has been almost a complete wipeout of the ceral crop in a section of our shire.”

Council wants agronomists and farmers to determine losses to assist in making approaches for support.