Good rain across Victoria brings floods and relief

SEASON-breaking rain has arrived as forecast.

SEASON-breaking rain has arrived across Victoria, as forecast.

Most regions have received at least 15mm and the North East copped a bucketing of more than 300mm in places, with minor flooding expected just where irrigators would want it — above the Hume Dam.

The irrigation season in Gippsland and northern Victoria closes on Sunday with hopes for an improved allocation for the 2016-17 season when the forecast is released on Monday.

Totals were mixed across the Wimmera-Mallee grain belt, although most farmers believe that crops have enough moisture to germinate.

Peter Watts, of Coonooer Bridge, south of Charlton, has received 25mm since Sunday after a good storm the week before.

“We’ve got a bit of green pick coming through now and a little bit of water in dams,” he said.

Welcome rain falls

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“It’s certainly lifted the spirits around the place again.”

Casterton beef farmer John Wyld said that late rain on Monday came as a relief.

“We’d mostly missed out on the weekend so most of it came on Monday afternoon and we have about 25mm so far,” Mr Wyld said.

“We had 18mm a few weeks ago, which gave us a skin of green and now we will get some growth out of it.”

When combined with widespread rain a week ago, the rain has filled tanks and started saturating run-off areas and filling farm catchment dams.

Beef farmer Michael Carson yesterday lifted a pump above the expected flood level of the King River after receiving more than 70mm in the past few days.

“We need the ability in Victoria to store more water in these flood events,” he said.

Elders’ Victorian livestock manager Brendan Coxon said reports of 40-60mm across much of the state had wet country and, in some parts, created run-off.

“A lot of the state was def­icient for water and while in the northeast of the state, there would have been run-off, the next step will be more rain to fill dams,” Mr Coxon said.

“Given some parts had about 30mm a week or so ago, this was the perfect follow-up rain and we have not seen two rains like this for some time.”

Michael Gadd from Walwa measured 60mm after 20mm the week before, but said that many places around him had measured more.

“The ground is still warm, so while this is a late break, feed will still grow very quickly,” Mr Gadd said.