‘Too little too late for some’: drought-hit Gippsland farmers cry out for support
With the focus on the big dry in NSW and Queensland, Gippsland farmers ravaged by the worst drought in a century feel forgotten — and one fears even if government help comes soon, it may already be too late for some.
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Farmers are pleading for government intervention to save hundreds of Gippsland properties scorched by Australia’s “forgotten drought”.
Record low rainfall between Sale and Orbost in the state’s far east has reduced paddocks to barren moonscapes, drained dams and pushed debt-ridden farmers to the brink.
Desperate farmers are begging for discounts on council rates — which cost some more than $20,000 annually — and for subsidies to transport donated fodder and cart water.
PICTURE SPECIAL: DROUGHT IN SOUTHEAST VICTORIA
VICTORIAN FARMERS DEMAND MORE ACTION
The Bureau of Meteorology is warning of little reprieve for 200 farms in the drought-stricken region amid one of the hottest and driest starts to a year on record.
Properties in the hardest-hit zone — including Giffard, Stradbroke, Woodside and Briagolong — had just 15mm of rain last month.
Almost all of that fell on the last day of January.
The same areas had seen just over half of their yearly average rainfall in the past two years — the lowest since records began — pushing them into an official drought.
Sheep farmer Dan Boland’s Giffard West property is among the most severely hit, with strong coastal wind fouling water supplies and rendering his paddocks almost useless.
“I’m 69 years old, I have been here all my life. It is the worst I have ever seen,” he said. “You just keep on going but it’s getting harder and harder. A little help would go a long way.”
Giffard farmer Steve Harrison says the district’s farmers have felt ignored by politicians and parts of the media amid a heavy focus on drought-ravaged northern NSW and Queensland.
The VFF livestock councillor said farmers had been tied up in red-tape applying for the “worthless” federal government household assistance payment system — similar to dole payments — and are frustrated that the Victorian government has not delivered on rate subsidies
“We’re resigned to the fact we are forgotten. Unfortunately if help does come, it will be too little too late for some of us,” he said.
“These are the worst conditions in living memory … the driest stint in more than 100 years for some of us. But Daniel Andrews hasn’t been past Traralgon. I wish they’d see first hand what we’re going through.”
Mr Harrison said he and his many of his neighbours have been forced to handfeed sheep pellets and hay for almost 21 months, the majority forced to sell off up to 60 per cent of their livestock.
Others farmers have completely sold off herds of cattle or been forced to shell out exorbitant costs to transport them to greener parts of the state.
He said the flow-on effect had hit small towns. Many farmers had been forced to let go casual staff and workers had been laid off throughout the supply chain.
Victorian Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes, who will visit the region this week, said the government had been supporting farmers in the region since May.
“From drought infrastructure grants through to educational and mental health support … I have made it clear a range of options for further support remain on the table,” she said.
The region is also on the cusp of gaining federal rebates of 25 per cent on drilling bores, desilting dams, as well as installing and buying tanks, pipes, and pumps to water stock.
The federal government has directed $50 million to support drought-affected farmers, with the Victorian government still negotiating the final details on the maximum amount the state’s farmers can claim.
Federal Gippsland MP Darren Chester said although the drought has not been as widespread as in Queensland and northern NSW, the impact on farming families was “just as severe”.
He said all levels of government had been slow to reduce costs for farmers and called for targeted help for farmers to re-establish their operations when better conditions return.
WE FEEL FORGOTTEN, SAYS GIPPSLAND
State and federal governments are scrambling to assist farmers in parts of drought-ravaged Gippsland amid admissions the help already offered has not been enough.
Anger has grown within small eastern Victorian communities who feel forgotten as they cope with record-low rainfall over the past two years.
Giffard farmer Steve Harrison said the isolation had fuelled a feeling the communities were just “a small group of votes that don’t matter”.
“What’s needed is practical help for the here and now; we can talk about drought preparedness and that’s a very important issue, but relief right now is what’s needed,” Mr Harrison said.
“We’ve all seen the help that farmers up north are rightfully getting but it’s resigned us to the fact we’ve been forgotten about.”
Many farmers — who declined to speak on the record because they were “tired and fed up with talking about it”, said any money pledged had not been seen on the ground.
Federal member for Gippsland Darren Chester has written to Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Agriculture Minister David Littleproud to reinforce his call for a better approach.
“It is very clear that more needs to be done to reduce red tape and assist families,” Mr Chester said.
Victorian Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes is expected to add to the Victorian government’s assistance package when she visits the region this week.
She said that since her promotion to the portfolio in November she had made two visits to Gippsland.
The state government announced in October a $25 million package for mental health, small business planning and support for parents to manage cost-of-living pressures.
BY THE NUMBERS
GIFFARD RAINFALL
■ Lowest 24-month period since 1902
■ 2018: 300mm of 530mm average
■ 2017: 450mm (150mm in December’s summer heat)
■ January 2019: 15mm of 50mm average, including 14mm on January 31
RECORD BOOKS
■ Lowest 24-months in Cann River in 93 years
■ Lowest 24-months in Lake Tyers in 54 years
■ Driest January to September for East Sale on record in 2018, and its second-driest in 2017
East Gippsland
■ 1237.5mm — 72.5 per cent of the long-term average rainfall between April 2017 and January 2019
Victoria
■ 1251.5mm, 81 per cent of average rainfall between April 2017 to January 2019
GOVERNMENT RESPONSE
■ 55 drought-related workshops and 46 one-on-one consultations since May
■ 300 applications for On-Farm Drought Infrastructure Support Grants
■ 2 new rural financial counsellors commenced with the Gippsland Rural Financial Counselling
■ 730 applications for Back to School Relief
■ $100,000 for Wellington and East Gippsland Councils for a Community Resilience Program
If you or someone you love is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or BeyondBlue on 1300 224 636. If it is an emergency please call triple-0.
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