A national water transport network to help farmers is one proposal Prime Minister Scott Morrison will look at to guard against future droughts.

Mr Morrison pointed to the $2 billion National Water Infrastructure Loan Facility and a recent CSIRO report nominating potential sites for new dams as long-term measures already underway.

“Long-term water storage and longer-term water infrastructure is a big part of the plans which are already coming forward,” the prime minister told 2GB on Wednesday.

But his primary focus is on immediate drought relief, with farmers in Queensland and NSW hit the worst by barren conditions across eastern Australia.

Mr Morrison says the application for the Farm Household Assistance, a welfare payment for drought-affected farmers, is too arduous.

“It took someone seven hours to fill out this form. That’s nuts. It has to be fixed,” he said.

By Matt Coughlan