Recent spring rain did little to drench drought-scorched earth
SYDNEY’S been soaked and Prince Harry was drenched in Dubbo, but isolated storms in the state’s west have barely dented the drought, which will stretch farmers to the brink throughout the summer months. CLICK ON OUR INTERACTIVE MAP.
NSW
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SYDNEY’S been soaked and Prince Harry was drenched in Dubbo, but isolated storms in the state’s west have barely dented the drought, which will stretch farmers to the brink throughout the summer months.
Sydney was last month saturated by 167mm of rainfall, which was twice as rain as the previous three months combined, but in the state’s northwest 10 towns didn’t even register 10mm.
Spring rainfall has eased the severity of the drought along the coast, from Gosford north to Tweed Heads and from Ulladulla south to Eden, but large inland areas are still in the grips of the driest 18-month spell since records began in 1900.
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It’s been so wet at Coffs Harbour blueberries pickers have been laid off until the clouds clear, but truckies from Gunnedah in the state’s northwest who should be busy transporting grain are travelling as far as Western Australia for work.
Recent rainfall must have seemed like a cruel joke for farmers in the Murray region, whose crops failed because it was too dry throughout July, August and September.
In a bid to break even, farmers at Moulamein, Finley, Deniliquin and Jerilderie had cut their crops to make hay, which was waterlogged when the rain came.
At Scone, in the usually lush Upper Hunter, graziers are offloading cattle for heavily reduced prices in fire sales because they have run out of water for the cattle to drink.
Baking heat at Bourke has already burned off the green tinge from spring storms.
While some might still be recovering from their hangovers, Tamworth farmers will soon see the direct benefits of hosting the spectacularly successful Hay Mate drought-relief concert last week.
The Sunday Telegraph-supported charity concert, which attracted thousands of people to Tamworth last Saturday to see stars like John Farnham, the Veronicas and Daryl Braithwaite, has so far raised $2.8 million for farmers struggling through the worst drought in living memory.
Every dollar raised from the event has gone towards farming charity Rural Aid, which will repay the faith with bales of hay and shopping vouchers for Tamworth’s hardest-hit farming families in December.
Rural Aid general manager Wayne Thomson said donations from across the country were still flowing in.
A serious shortage of hay on the eastern seaboard has forced Rural Aid to bring 30 road trains a week loaded with hay from Western Australia, which was only enough to help out 30 farmers in Dubbo, Walgett and Lightning Ridge.
The money raised from the concert and a new crop of Victorian hay to be cut within the week will see the charity expand from 30 road trains a week to 60, which will mean more hay will get to badly hit farmers in the Upper Hunter.
Mr Thomson said the deliveries should also stop people criticising farming charities for not doing enough.
“Everyone saw the money come in from the concert and it’s important everyone can see the money going out,” Mr Thomson said.
Music tycoon Glenn Wheatley, who was the brains behind the Hay Mate concert, said the first shipment of hay was bought and paid for. “Farmers will soon see the fruits of all the generous donations,” he said.
People can still donate at www.haymate.org.au