Farmers knuckle down to repair farms after record floods
Stock losses are still being counted in NSW, while producers are starting the clean-up process. New grants have been made available for landholders.
Stock losses are still being counted in NSW, after a one-in-500-year flood has inundated hundreds of farms.
Landholders, government workers and emergency service volunteers have started clean-up efforts after major flooding across NSW’s Mid-North Coast and Hunter regions.
Dorrigo farmer David Gibson said nearby farmers organised about 200 donated bales for the hardest-hit communities, while affected farmers had sold cattle through nearby saleyards to destock during the clean-up process.
Mr Gibson had completed two disaster surveys due to the damage on his farm, and said fodder in the region had been “cleaned out”.
“The coastal guys, Kempsey, Maxville, down to Taree were completely smashed,” he said.
The NSW government announced new grants for eligible primary producers of up to $25,000, and up to $10,000 for eligible rural landholders across 28 local goverment areas. The grants aimed to assist with clean-up, repairs and recovery.
NSW Farmers president Xavier Martin said the disaster relief would help farming families on a “long road to recovery”. The floods happened two months after ex-tropical Cyclone Alfred.
“There’s no doubt they’ll need more support to get them through the devastation, but it’s a start, and it’s good to see our governments commit to getting our farmers back on their feet,” he said.
NSW Farmers vice president Rebecca Riordan estimated the damages would be “in the hundreds of millions”.
The Agricultural and Animal Services Functional Area emergency hotline had 872 requests for assistance to 4pm Sunday, 418 calls for emergency fodder, 127 for aerial fodder drops, 182 for animal disposal and 86 for veterinary care.
Since its inception on May 20, the hotline has taken 1541 calls to May 31. The NSW government’s natural disaster survey has had 177 responses so far from dairy, beef, oyster, turf and forestry industries.
“As flood waters recede and access improves, we are expecting an increase in PiNDDA survey responses. In most instances, the initial focus for landholders is on the welfare of their animals,” a NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development spokesperson said.
“There is currently a large number of requests for animal disposal assistance and its expected this will continue as flood waters recede.”
They estimated 3100 holdings in the North Coast area and 4700 Hunter properties to be affected by inundation.
The AASFA emergency hotline is on 1800 814 647. The PiNDDA survey is on www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/damage
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