‘Tornado’ hits farms and brings down powerlines at Gol Gol

UPDATE: MILLIONS of dollars of damage was done to horticultural properties near Mildura when a tornado-like storm hit on the weekend.

‘Tornado’ hits farms at Gol Gol

UPDATE: MILLIONS of dollars of damage was done to horticultural properties near Mildura when a tornado-like storm hit on the weekend.

Farms at Gol Gol North were “devastated” by ferocious winds and hailstones on Saturday afternoon.

Wentworth Shire Council mayor Don McKinnon said damage to crops spanned about 120ha and costs would run into the millions.

Cr McKinnon said wine, table and dried grapes had been affected, as well as citrus orchards and vegetables crops.

“The Gol Gol North horticultural region just devastated,” Cr McKinnon said.

“There was a 2km strip that was battered. The wind was horizontal and stripped all of the vines of about three quarters of their leaves and any fruit that was starting to set.”

Murray Valley Winegrowers chief executive Mike Stone said wine-grape growers at Gol Gol North, Buronga, Mourquong, Curlwaa and Coomealla had lost up to 20,000 tonnes of their 2015 harvest.

“The loss of wine grapes alone is estimated to be worth up to $6 million,” Mr Stone said.

“It’s a major setback for wine-grape growers who’ve been struggling to make ends meet for several years.

“The effects are likely to be felt beyond next year’s harvest.”

Citrus Australia chief executive Judith Damiani said there had been significant damage to citrus farms in the Gol Gol North, Buronga, Mourquong and Curlwaa districts — all citrus growing areas.

“We are still in the process of estimating damage and losses in order to support a natural disaster declaration and unfortunately there will be an impact on next year’s citrus crop,” Ms Damiani said.

The Bureau of Meteorology is yet to confirm if the weather event was a actually a tornado, or another type of storm.

BOM senior forecaster for Victoria, Richard Carlyon, said no agents had been out to Gol Gol to check the damage.

“We’ve been bombarded by storms all over the place so we’ve been very busy,” Mr Carlyon said.

“We haven’t had a chance to look at the radar yet, but someone will have a look tomorrow when it’s quieter.”

Mr Carlyon said it was hard to categorise the storm without photos or video.

“It sounds like a tornado but without any more information it’s hard to categorise,” he said.

Crop damage reports can be sent to Rhonda Duscher at the Buronga office of Western Local Land Services by calling [phone] or emailing [e-mail]

Gol Gol storm damage

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