HOW TO HELP NWQ
Industry crisis point: Time to back pastoralists
RELIEF efforts have kicked in as farmers in northern Queensland begin the recovery process after being devastated by floods.
After up to seven years of drought, northern regions of the state received three years worth of rain in less than a week, resulting in hundreds of thousands of livestock deaths.
The Burrumbuttock Hay Runners will take 80 truckloads of fodder to Cloncurry this weekend in an effort to help feed surviving livestock.
“We’ve used every dollar we have to get this emergency run done. We’ll be leaving Friday and getting to Cloncurry on Sunday,” Burrumbuttock Hay Runners founder Brendan Farrell said.
“They’ve lost a lot of livestock and that’s as far as our money will get us.
“Cloncurry, Richmond, Julia Creek and Charters Towers have been devastated, but 80 per cent of Queensland is still in drought. We have to do the best we can to help everyone in need, whether it be drought, fire or flood.”
Mr Farrell said the Hay Runners would work closely with AgForce to distribute the fodder. “We’re going to do what we do and drive the hay up there and drop it off and leave it to AgForce to decide who gets what,” he said.
“They’ll use their database to help distribute the fodder to those who need it.”
Mr Farrell said the emergency trip had left the charity’s kitty low and said he hoped the public would donate to get enough funds to prepare them for next year’s annual Australia Day run.
AgForce CEO Michael Guerin said courageous and collaborative leadership was required to ensure the longterm wellbeing of cattle producers in northwest Queensland and the rural communities who rely on them.
“There is no doubt that this is a disaster of unprecedented proportion,” Mr Guerin said.
“The speed and intensity of the unfolding tragedy makes it hard to believe that it’s just a week since farmers’ elation at receiving the first decent rains in five years turned to horror at the devastating and unprecedented flood that quickly followed.
“The latest reports confirm our earliest fears: this is a massive humanitarian crisis that has devastated an area twice the size of Victoria and is steadily expanding southwards.
“Although we won’t know the full extent of the livestock losses and infrastructure damage until the water fully recedes, it is certain that the industry will take decades to recover.”
Many people are hopeful the northern and southern parts of the state might be able to work together to benefit the industry.
Cyril Close from TopX in Roma said it would be some time before graziers in southwest Queensland might be able to send their cattle north for agistment.
“Everyone is jumping the boat a bit, the water hasn’t even gone down up there and people are saying this will happen and that will happen. You’ve got to consider that these are people’s livelihoods that have washed away and it’s a very emotional time for them,” Mr Close said.
“There are benefits for people down here who are struggling in drought who could send cattle up there to help get them back on their feet, but they won’t be ready to take cattle up there for some time when we’re probably ready to send cattle up there now.
“There is other infrastructure to consider like roads and fences that will need to be fixed and that’s not going to happen overnight, they need an income to do that.
“But as long as that gap in between isn’t too great, I think there could be benefits for both areas.”
Mr Guerin acknowledged the work of the agencies and organisations at all levels now involved in helping the many producers and communities come through what remains a very desperate situation.
“Led by the Local Disaster Management Groups, the people on the ground are working through the complicated logistical considerations required to get the stockpiled hay delivered by chopper and, where possible, wheeled transport to save as many animals as possible,” he said.
“AgForce’s emergency fodder drop map is helping pinpoint where assistance is required, to provide an opportunity for cattle farmers to access emergency fodder supplies. So far, more than 100 producers in the devastated areas have requested fodder to try and save more than 150,000 head of cattle.
“The loss of hundreds of thousands of cattle after five, six, seven years of drought is a debilitating blow not just to individual farmers, many of whom have lost literally everything, but to rural communities.”
Mr Guerin said the three years of rainfall inside a week had a catastrophic impact on farmers and their livestock, on communities and towns, on infrastructure, and on the natural environment and wildlife.
“Some farmers have lost everything, literally everything, except an ever-growing debt, and our first priority is to make sure that they are OK,” he said.
“We thank governments and the Australian community for the support they have shown so far, but we need to ensure that farmers and the communities they keep alive are supported for the long haul.
“Even as we work through the logistical issues to get fodder to cattle with the assistance of the defence force and local volunteers – helicopter pilots, truckies, townies – we need to be deploying specialist wellbeing professionals in.
“The Royal Flying Doctor Service mental health team are on hand to now provide support to the many frontline volunteers and to all in the community.”