Welcome rainfalls in NSW’s north west and central west gives desperate farmers some respite

LITTLE Ella Riley can scarcely remember the last time she saw a puddle, let alone one big enough to wallow in.

LITTLE Ella Riley can scarcely remember the last time she saw a puddle, let alone one big enough to wallow in.

That all changed yesterday when rain fell over the North West and Central West regions giving drought-hit farmers a rare reason to smile.

Ella Riley, 9, felt like she had her own pool to play in at her family’s farm southwest of Gunnedah. Picture: Dylan Robinson

“Lately we’ve been running inside to get out of the dust storms that look like twisters,” the nine-year-old from Mullaley, west of Gunnedah, said.

MORE ON NSW DROUGHT:

Hey Mate relief concert with John Farnham, Daryl Braithwaite

Government to sell water to farmers

Human faces of worst drought on record

Entire state now declared drought affected

Yesterday her gumboots were full with the first decent rainfall her family’s farm has had this year.

“It’s so much fun playing in the puddles because it feels like we have our own pool,” Ella said.

Ella’s dad has been working off the farm to save it from getting repossessed by the bank. Picture: Dylan Robinson

The weekend’s highest rains fell on Barraba (33.6mm), Inverell (28.8mm) and Delungra (28.8mm), according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

Storms delivered 25mm to the Riley farm, which will likely mean Ella’s dad Bruce can plant sorghum in November.

However, scattered thunderstorms struck from Mungindi on the Queensland border south to Dubbo, blanketing bare paddocks with heavy hail and more than 25mm of rain.

At the Rileys’ 1500-acre mixed cropping and cattle farm, rain fell for just the second time this year, which tripled their total rainfall for the year in hours.

Heavy rain and hail blankets a property southwest of Gunnedah, which is currently in the worst drought on record. Picture: Dylan Robinson

The heavy clouds were a welcome sight for farmers. Picture: Dylan Robinson

Tow thunderstorms in one day bucketed down on Gunnedah. Picture: Dylan Robinson

Two thunderstorms at 2am and at 11.30am delivered 25mm of valuable rain, which won’t break the drought but will likely mean Ella’s dad Bruce Riley can plant a sorghum crop in November.

Mr Riley says the bank would have already repossessed his 1500-acre farm if it weren’t for his off-farm income as a carpet layer.

“I haven’t planted wheat this year and didn’t harvest a wheat crop last year either, which would normally be my primary source of income,” Mr Riley said.

“Widespread rain like this gives us some hope.”

The rain was as unusual for struggling animals as it was for people. Picture: Dylan Robinson

The rain, however, is not yet enough to break the drought. Picture: Dylan Robinson

Last week Mr Riley bought cattle for $17 each from graziers who couldn’t afford to feed them, which he’s been grazing on a failed sorghum crop.

“If I’d had this rain a few months ago I would have been admitted to hospital to get my smile removed because I could have planted wheat, but in this drought any rain’s welcome,” he said.

The drought has been so devastating in the North West Slopes around Mullaley and Gunnedah, farmers and graziers last month queued for a share of water being emptied from a new eight-lane pool in town.

Lorna Bean’s farm east of Dunedoo before the rain.

The same farm after today’s rain.

At Coonabarabran in the North West Slopes, where farmers have battled through the driest 18 months since records began in 1900, steady rain brought 13mm over the weekend.

At Casillis in the Central West, grazier Lorna Bean described the sound of 24mm on her tin roof as “amazing”.

Ms Bean, 28, works on a 3950 acre farm east of Dunedoo, where she’s been bottle-feeding poddy calves abandoned by mothers too weak to produce milk.

“The rain was just brilliant and will really help kickstart some summer pastures,” she said.