There is no doubt that the $600 million assistance package announced yesterday for dairy farmers is more than welcome, and according to those even on our part of the land, it really is about time.

There’s $900,000 put forward for counselling services, up to $1000 a fortnight for farm household assistance and $555 million in concessional loans with an interest rate of 2.66 per cent.

It’s a well-deserved reprieve for the dairy industry and comes on the back of weeks of intense campaigning and lobbying by the farmers affected and their industry bodies in the south of our nation.

This includes, but is not limited to, the efforts of 16-year-old Albury schoolgirl Chloe Scott, whose petition directed at Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce was signed by over 160,000 supporters.

It’s a win for people power, and one would be forgiven to think there’d be more of this in the weeks to come.

The pressure is on the pollies and their parties right now and promises are being dished out as the race to the finish line heats up.

Let’s hope this continues.

As for the future, Australian consumers have a pretty poor reputation when it comes to buying local. Admittedly, dollars and cents speak volumes.

There has been a bit of an outcry in recent years – and the government’s moved to change our labelling laws to better reflect what is Australian-owned, but when it comes down to it, it’s up to each and every one of us to look at what goes into our shopping trolleys each week.

The locally grown product might be a bit more expensive, but the flow-on effects are more enormous and well worth it when it comes to local jobs and the economy.