It’s the season to be jolly, farm boss says

GOOD rain across southeast Australia has been hailed by Victorian Farmers Federation president Peter Tuohey as the best start to the season in a long time.

Wet and woolly: Sheep wait in floodwaters near Deloraine in Northern Tasmania on Monday. Picture: Chris Crerar

GOOD rain across southeast Australia has been hailed by Victorian Farmers Federation president Peter Tuohey as “definitely the best start we’ve had to the season in a long time”.

It comes as the Bureau of Meteorology has forecast more rain for Victoria and southern NSW for the next week.

Mr Tuohey, from Pyramid Hill in northern Victoria, said consistent showers had boosted farmer confidence, with falls of more than 100mm in places over the past week. The wet start to winter comes just a week after good falls provided a late, but welcome, boost to autumn totals.

Bureau of Meteorology rainfall figures for the past week show the best falls were recorded in southern NSW, Victoria’s North East and Gippsland, as well as Tasmania.

In the past week Cooma, in southeast NSW, has recorded 116.6mm, more than three times its long-term June average.

Similar totals were recorded in Tasmania with Flinders Island receiving 115mm, Cressy 103mm, Bridport 87mm, Swansea 78mm and Launceston 50mm. More than 100 people had to be rescued on Monday night as the state suffered one of its worst flooding disasters on record.

In the NSW Riverina, Griffith received 61.4mm over the past week with Narrandera (41.4mm), Wagga Wagga (27mm) and Hay (18.8mm) also faring well. Riverina farmer Mark Hoskinson, of Kikiora, northeast of Griffith, said his farm received 60mm over the weekend and “some other areas around here have had 100mm”.

“The creeks are flowing and the roads are cut so the kids are not going to school today (Monday),” Mr Hoskinson said. “Most of the crops are in. It’s an ideal start to the season … happy days.”

Parts of Gippsland and East Gippsland, which had missed out on good rain during autumn, recorded beneficial totals. Orbost picked up 49.8mm ahead of Bairnsdale (43.6mm), Omeo (36.8mm), Sale (29.2mm) and the Latrobe Valley (26mm). In northern Victoria, Yarrawonga received 35.6mm, Shepparton 26mm and Wangaratta 22mm.

Little rain was recorded in western parts of Victoria with Swan Hill faring the best with just 3mm, and Hamilton, Horsham, Mildura, Mortlake, Nhill and Warrnambool picking up less than 1mm.

Mr Tuohey said while he wouldn’t “knock back” any rain in the next week or so, paddocks were wet and early-planted crops up and growing.

The BoM says most of Victoria could receive upwards of 15mm in the next week.