Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke has addressed the NSW Parliament calling for action on a drought preparedness strategy with drought conditions worsening across the Hilltops and Cootamundra electorate.

Though there was some much needed rainfall across the Hilltops, the region is still either in or creeping into the grips of a drought and Ms Cooke has called on the Government to take action to empower communities.

"As drought conditions expand across southern NSW, with the Cootamundra electorate experiencing the worst of this event, I'm calling on the Government to implement a coordinated, well-funded and long-term drought preparedness strategy that builds infrastructure, empowers communities and strengthens resilience," Ms Cooke said.

"It is time we think about drought the same way as other natural disasters by making a shift from response and recovery to mitigation and preparedness.

Ms Cooke believes that a NSW Fodder Reserve is an initiative that is worth considering.

"I've also called for immediate relief in the form of transport subsidies for stock, water and fodder," she said.

During her address to parliament Ms Cooke told those in the chamber that though it is raining in Sydney, it is not in the local region and communities are suffering.

"While rain might be falling here in Sydney conditions are very different across the south of the state," Ms Cooke said.

"Across the Cootamundra electorate drought has taken hold.

"At the end of April the NSW DPI formally declared drought across much of our region."

Ms Cooke expressed how local farmers were not surprised with the declaration as they'd already begun to ship in water and feed for livestock.

"With feed costs high, markets are being flooded with livestock," she said.

"On May 5 and again on May 13, a staggering 8,700 head of cattle went under the hammer at the Wagga Livestock Marketing Centre, described as unprecedented.

"A record few would wish to see repeated.

"This is what drought looks like, it creeps in, stripping paddocks bare, draining dams and bank accounts and exhausting people to the core."

Ms Cooke went on to say that unlike floods or bushfires there is no warning on an app and no one on the ground to fight the battle.

"Still, our farmers are expected to bear the burden until it becomes politically convenient to act," she said.

Ms Cooke told the parliament that they had an opportunity to change the status quo.

"We cannot keep responding to disasters by waiting for them to break us," she said.

"We must continue to shift from response and recovery to mitigation and preparedness.

"As a state, we've already begun that shift in other disaster contexts in a multi-partisan, non-political way."

Ms Cooke was referring to the NSW Reconstruction Authority in November 2022, the group was something that Ms Cooke had instituted during her time as the then Minister for Emergency Services, Resilience and Flood Recovery.

"It's time for drought to be treated in the same way," Ms Cooke said.

"Not as an exception, but a recurring risk requiring the same level of coordination, investment and forward thinking."

Ms Cooke has posted the full video of her address on her Facebook page for anyone to view and has called for any residents or landholders who are needing advise or support to please contact her office at cootamundra@parliament.nsw.gov.au.