Exceptional Circumstances (EC) aid was due to run out in most places on September 30.

The Minister for Agriculture, Tony Burke, announced on Tuesday that his department had "accepted the advice of the National Rural Advisory Council (NRAC).

NRAC found that drought is continuing to severely affect production in the 32 EC-declared drought areas.

The areas are:

• In NSW and the ACT: Braidwood, Central Tablelands, Central North North-West Coonamble, Central North North-West Northern New England, Condobolin, Condobolin-Narrandera, Cooma-Bombala-ACT, Dubbo, Forbes, Goulburn-Yass, Gundagai, Hay, Hume, most of the Western Division, Molong, Mudgee-Merriwa, Northern New England, North-East Northern New England revised, Northern Tablelands, Nyngan, Riverina, South West Slopes and Plains, Walgett-Coonamble and Young.

• In Victoria: Central Victoria south, Central Victoria north, Mallee – Northern Wimmera, North-East Victoria and Northern Victoria.

• In WA: North Eastern Wheatbelt and southern rangelands in West Australia are included and so is the Upper North Cropping region of South Australia.

The areas where EC will not be extended are Armidale, Casino and the South Coast-Moss Vale region in NSW, and Central and East Gippsland in Victoria.