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A trio of Australian working dogs kicked up a spectacular dust storm on a cattle property in Central Queensland on October 15, showing the extent of the drought in the local area.

Dogs Pepper, Scrappy and Tessa were sprinting alongside a quad bike while farmer Jacque Donaldson and her 12-year-old daughter Evangeline were checking on their cattle.

“The dogs get dusty but they love it,” Jacque Donaldson told Storyful.

Donaldson said while their farm was not as bad as other areas, they “desperately need rain.”

Around 66 per cent of Queensland is considered drought affected by the Queensland Government. Isaac Shire, where this video is situated, is considered to be 90 per cent affected by drought.

Queensland’s southern-neighbouring state of New South Wales (NSW) is considered almost entirely in drought. Around 31 per cent of the state is considered to be in intense drought, mostly near the Queensland border.

Rain and hail (see here and here) fell in drought-affected areas recently, however, large parts of Queensland are experiencing the lowest rainfalls on record.

The drought has forced new announcements of funding from politicians, including a $1 billion investment into dam infrastructure by the NSW Government and a $100 million package by the federal government in September.

The Bureau of Meteorology expects this year’s warm and dry trend for the eastern states to continue for the remainder of 2019.

Australia’s National Farmers Federation recently renewed calls for a national drought policy.

“Australian can go no further without a strategic and sophisticated approach to drought. We value the Government’s engagement with the NFF on the future of drought preparedness, management and recovery and reiterate that drought must be a bi-partisan issue,” President of the National Farmers Federation, Fiona Simson, said. Credit: Evangeline Donaldson via Storyful