Southwest Victoria drought: Camperdown region farmer says aid needed now

Roger Heath says southwest Victoria’s green drought will force farmers like him off the land before the year is out. Here’s why.

Working three jobs just to put food on the table, Roger Heath wants to stay in dairy farming.

But he says southwest Victoria’s green drought will force his hand to leave his multi-generational career on the land.

His daughters Tayla, 24, and Sheridan, 22, work alongside their dad but the Heath family farming tradition is in jeopardy.

“If this green drought continues into spring, and unfortunately that appears to be the case, we won’t be farming by Christmas,” the Bookaar district farmer said.

“We don’t look like we’ll be getting a spring harvest this year.

“You can prepare all you like — no farmer can prepare for this.

“I’m working three jobs to put food on the table — the main job of running a farm, my work for Jersey Australia and driving a cattle truck. We’re just about managing.

“It’s a dire situation. Just because it’s green doesn’t mean it’s been raining.

“We’ve got to get this message through to the government, to the banks — this isn’t just my farm, the future of farms right across this part of the world are on the line.”

Mr Heath said with Victorian Agriculture Minister Ros Spence set to venture to the region, some form of water carting subsidy would be welcome from the state government.

Roger Heath on his dairy farm at Bookaar. Picture: Zoe Phillips

But it’s not all about dollars — Mr Heath said some form of official recognition signed off by Ms Spence would go a long way in pushing banks and other institutions to acknowledge the drought’s economic impact.

“I’ve never seen a drought like this - I’m nearly 50 and Dad’s 74 and he says the same. This is an exceptionally long period without proper rain,” Mr Heath said.

“We’ve had a short shower here and there but nothing substantial for month after month.

“The costs mount up - we’ve had to buy $300,000 to $400,000 worth of fodder and we’ve paid for three months of carting water — we’ll probably have to do the same again without a proper spring break.”