Relief at best rain in ages for South Gippsland dairy farmer Rod Cope

IN JUST 24 hours, Rod Cope went from having an average on-farm water supply to a near overflowing dam.

High time: Middle Tarwin dairy farmer Rod Cope rejoices in welcome rain as water birds return to his near-overflowing dam. Picture: Dannika Bonser

IN JUST 24 hours, Rod Cope went from having an average on-farm water supply to a near overflowing dam.

The dairy farmer at Middle Tarwin, in South Gippsland, received 30mm of rain last week as parts of Gippsland flooded.

“We didn’t get a huge flood. A lot of the water we got was from upstream and the 30mm was the most we’ve had in that space of time for about four or five years,” Mr Cope said.

“Being on the Tarwin River we do expect some floods and for us it has come at just the right time.

“If we had this weather in September and October it could do a lot of damage, but our dam — which is used for stock water — went from being half-full to almost full.”

Mr Cope, who milks 400 Friesian cows on his 320ha property, said growing-wise the area had been hit with a late autumn break but it had still created pasture growth.

“We started calving four weeks ago with a really good amount of feed on farm,” he said. “It has been good to see some positives since the milk price was slashed.”

The Murray Goulburn supplier said he would receive only 26.5 cents a litre for his milk from September to December.

“We are looking at changing suppliers and are on a waiting list for Fonterra, but there are a lot of others out there who are worse off than us,” Mr Cope said. “We are established farmers and it’s the young ones that I feel for.

“I do think we will have good spring, though, and if we can harvest a solid amount of hay and silage that saves us buying in feed, which is also a positive.”

In the 36 hours from last Tuesday morning to Wednesday evening 162mm of rain was recorded at Bullumwaal, north of Bairnsdale, and 141mm had fallen at Buchan.