Donated hay to bring relief to bushfire-hit farms

A convoy carrying 2000 bales of hay is set to arrive in NSW from WA to deliver much-needed livestock fodder.

Almost a dozen trucks loaded with 2000 bales of hay are set to arrive in NSW from WA on Wednesday.

A convoy of almost a dozen trucks loaded with 2000 bales of hay is set to arrive in New South Wales from Western Australia on Wednesday to deliver livestock fodder to bushfire-ravaged farms.

The Harvey Hay Run has travelled almost 4000 kilometres with the donated hay, as well as clothing and bedding supplies.

Cattle producer Belinda Hall, who co-ordinated the drive with her husband Joe, said it was a natural decision to help.

“These communities are on the back of a drought and there is nothing left for them. It’s such a horrendous thing to watch happen.

“Not a single person who has contributed to this hay run has any doubt in their mind that they wanted to help.”

2000 hay bales en route to NSW.

Some of the donations came from communities affected by the 2016 Waroona-Yarloop bushfires that destroyed 160 homes and killed two people.

“We’re stepping up now to help these communities.

“A lot of the people who donated clothing and bedding have donated items that they were given that they never used.”

Ms Hall and her husband teamed up with Cooma farmer, George Walters who set up a grassroots charity, to dispatch fodder to fire-affected farms along the state’s south coast.

“I knew I could help and didn’t think it would be get as big as it has. I’m trying to give back to people who are worse off than me,” Mr Walters said.

Since the launch of South Coast Rural Relief, Mr Walters was contacted by the Australian Defence Force which has lent army trucks and personnel to deliver the donated supplies.

“The ADF has been amazing and they’ve made anything we need happen. It has helped open up access to roads that have been burnt out.”

Over the weekend, Mr Walters flew in an ADF helicopter across the affected land, from the Victorian border, to Lake Conjola, to assess the farming land and spot access points.

Mr. Walters is planning to soon deliver fodder to western parts of the state.

Mr Walters was prompted to begin the charity after close family friends of his lost their farming land in the bushfires that tore through Cobargo.

“Immediately after the fire, I realised that there was a major need to get fodder on the ground and from there I started co-ordinating hay from sheds in sheds I had because of the drought. “We haven’t stopped since then.”

Mr Walters is hoping to expand the scope of the charity to provide relief to drought-impacted farms.