A severe shortage of rainfall on king island has left farmers desperately trying to relocate livestock.
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00:00 King Island is usually lush and green, but this summer the colour has faded.
00:07 The dams are drying out, well then the cattle go into the dams looking for water and then they're getting stuck in the mud.
00:14 So you try and get them out, they're breaking legs.
00:17 The island's isolation has added to the pressure.
00:20 We're bound by how many the abattoirs can take, so there's a limit on what can actually be taken off the island.
00:26 The government has made support payments available to farmers and will try to increase sea transport options.
00:33 The resolve of our great island is being tested, but we will show Tasmania and we will show Australia that we passed this test.
00:40 Parts of King Island have had the driest February on record, and it's not the only part of Tasmania that had low rainfall,
00:47 with the south east also experiencing a long dry period.
00:51 Grape growers are harvesting a month earlier than normal, and the grain harvest season is finishing early.
00:59 These are indicators of a changing climate.
01:02 We've had a couple of regions this year which have been incredibly dry.
01:06 They missed their spring break, the rainfall that comes in spring that then triggers the growth of particularly pastures through the landscape, and we've missed that.
01:18 As global temperatures rise, Tasmanian farmers will need to rapidly adapt.
01:23 There is change coming, so it's not about if, it's about when and how.
01:28 And so every farming system needs to have a look at what their climate triggers are.
01:33 Governments no longer declare droughts, but instead provide targeted support for areas in need.
01:39 The Farmers and Graziers Association says it's too early to determine if other parts of Tasmania need help during the current dry,
01:46 but they say building drought resilience will be crucial for the future.
01:50 future.
01:50 [BLANK_AUDIO]