Drought Minister David Littleproud insists the federal government is acting on a major report into the prolonged dry spell which he accepts has been partly caused by man-made climate change.
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The government has resisted calls to make Drought Coordinator Stephen Day's report public because it's headed to cabinet for consideration.
Senior ministers are yet to see it, with Mr Littleproud agreeing to wait until the National Farmers' Federation finalises its drought strategy before sending it to cabinet.
"There is nothing in Major-General Day's report that we are not already acting on," he told the ABC's Insiders on Sunday.
But Labor's agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon said that claim should be tested by making the document public.
"He should let farmers be the judge of that by releasing the taxpayer-funded drought coordinator's report," he said.
Mr Littleproud said he "100 per cent" believed the science around human contribution to climate change, which is playing a role in the drought.
"I live it. This drought in my electorate alone has been going for eight years," he said.
"We can't run away from that. We simply have to get on with it and equip our farmers and communities with the tools to be able to adapt as best they can."
He said Australia had a responsibility to reduce emissions and would do so through meeting international commitments.
Additional support for farmers appears to be edging closer after Treasurer Josh Frydenberg spent three days with Mr Littleproud in some of the worst-affected areas of NSW and Queensland last week.
"We understand this is going to cost more and the treasurer has been quite clear he accepts that," the drought minister said.
NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall launched an extraordinary attack on Mr Littleproud after he toured through drought-ravaged Inverell last week.
The federal government has been calling on the states to look at payroll tax and council rates in drought-hit communities, but praised NSW for planning to fund dam-building.
The savage criticism left Mr Littleproud miffed.
"I was surprised by that. In fact, most of my comments have been that New South Wales has done the heavy lifting," he said.
"It's sadly been Victoria and Queensland that haven't lifted a finger."
Mr Littleproud also rebuffed suggestions the government lacked a long-term drought strategy, pointing to a future fund which will dole out $100 million a year for resilience and other projects from 2020.
Australian Associated Press
