Long-awaited rainfall brings little relief, but it’s not enough for struggling farmers

Rainfall this week brought relief for thousands of Victorian families and farmers struggling through the worst drought seen in almost two decades, but it’s not enough.

This week brought some long-awaited rain across Victoria but residents and farmers in the state’s west say they are still not ready to declare the drought is over.

In Portland, 73-year-old Kerry Cleary cares for 18 acres, 13 sheep and some horses and she says the small pitter-patter of rain this week brought some relief for her bare fields but more was needed to declare the drought over.

“It was nice but it wasn’t enough” she told the Herald Sun.

“It’s never been this dry here before, and it’s not good.”
Throughout the summer she’s been buying in food for her livestock and this month carted in water as her home tank and dam ran dry.

She is now holding out for more rain but remains hopeful.

“Everyone has their own ideas about when the rain is coming, the weather bureau says one thing then the weather does something else. Hopefully we get some soon.”

Tom Cleary at the family dam that he normally fishes in just outside of Portland. Picture: Nicole Cleary

She’s also among the thousands of Victorians who have had to cart water in to her property in recent weeks to run her home and provide for the animals.

Water tanks and dams across the state have run dry prompting thousands of households and farmers to pay for drinking water to be trucked in by semi-trailers.

Many have reported that the drought is the worst in almost two decades, but there is hope on the horizon with the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) predicting a strong Autumn break.

“There are slightly increased chances (60–65 per cent) of above average rainfall for patches of northern and western Victoria, with no strong push towards above or below average rainfall elsewhere, during April,” Senior Climatologist Jonathan Pollock said.

“There are slightly increased chances of above average rainfall for parts of Cape Otway and close to 50:50 chance of above or below average rainfall elsewhere during May.”

He said the rains would also be accompanied with “warmer than average maximum temperatures” well into May.

In the week ahead the Mallee and Wimmerra district will likely remain dry but maximum temperatures will be lower than previous weeks.

In the norther region it will be dry and windy and to the east in Gippsland it will be cloudy and wet.

Melbourne will see inclement weather and overnight temperatures drop to between 11 and 15C.