Rain a sprinkle of hope

Farmers hold on to stock after dams get topped up

AFTER receiving 91.5mm of rain at the weekend, Injune grazier Vikki Hartley said they would no longer have to destock.

Mrs Hartley, her husband John and daughter Sophie, have 21,853ha over two properties, 40km west of Injune in southwest Queensland. They received 64mm of rain on Friday evening, and a further 27.5mm on Saturday.

Mrs Hartley said the dams were empty, but after the first rain they filled up, and the second lots of rain led them to overflow. “It’s going to be amazingly helpful,” Mrs Hartley said.

“We sold two lots of steers that went on the boats to Vietnam. We were drafting out anything that was saleable, preparing for it to stay dry.

“But we’ll hold on to everything now. Our selling program will stop.

“We have about 3600 head over two places, and both places got rain. We’re very thankful.” Mrs Hartley said now the rain had started, she’s hoped it would have some follow up.

“It will take us nicely up to winter,” she said.

“Because it’s March and the cold weather hasn’t hit us yet, if we get a few hot days the grass will come away nicely.

“Most of our country is brigalow and it’s covered in buffel, which should come away nicely.”

There were reports on social media of some people in the Goondiwindi area receiving up to 200mm. According to the Bureau of Meterology the Toowoomba received 86mm, while further north Roma received 28mm.

PHOTOS: CONTRIBUTED WONDERFUL WATER: Sophie Hartley admiring the full damn, which had been empty since January.

One of the dams on the Hartley’s property was empty and had just been cleaned out.

The dam was full after the first 64mm storm on March 15.