Farmer gets bank fee refund a decade on

FARMER attributes $84 cheque from his former banker as a spin off from banking royal commission.

The seeds from the corn stubble have started a vegie garden at Greymare. Picture: Gerard Walsh

DRY AS A BONE column in Bush Telegraph by Gerard Walsh - A lighter look at rural life

THE Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry must be the reason I received a cheque for $84 from one of the big four banks just before Christmas.

There was no message about Santa on the accompanying letter but it did mention something about a business account charge

So the banking royal commission has made me $84 richer.

I don't even have to share the $84 with the CEO as that business loan was just in my name.

The loan with one of the big four banks was paid off about 12 years ago, or should I say another lender took over the debt and we added the CEO to the new loan papers with another financial institution.

Having two of us on the paperwork means I only owe half as much as I owed to the big bank.

Anyone else who has won out of the royal commission can email me, your few dollars (names not disclosed) might give another few readers a bit of a laugh. Email gerardw@ warwickdailynews.com.au

Now we are finished with the banking royal commission, we can start planning for the year.

The worst job for me last week was ringing BOM for an indepth online story about the weather outlook for the next few days in Warwick and Stanthorpe.

The news from BOM was not as exciting as the $84.

We also saved a few dollars over the festive season as pumpkins and melons grew beside the corn stubble hay bought from Wheatvale, a few seeds were in the stubble.

They grow quality crops and vegies around Wheatvale, haven't a bad cricket team either but this column is about life down on the farm.

While my cheque from a big bank and bonus pumpkins and melons are good for a bit of a laugh, the continued dry weather is no laughing matter.

Anyone who says the drought is broken better drive 10km in any direction from Warwick or Stanthorpe to see that is not the case.

I have some friends in the sugar industry who had a bit too much rain.

But to their credit, they just talked about the good the rain was to most of the crop rather than the area of the farm where too much rain ended hopes for a harvest this year.

Our Rural Fire Brigade volunteers have been out and about again on the border between Queensland and New South Wales.

They all deserve a gold medal.

Originally published as Farmer gets bank fee refund a decade on