General News
28 December, 2023
VIDEO Walsh calls for natural disaster declaration to help farmer recovery
WORDS AND VIDEO By Chris Earl PRESSURE is growing for the State Government to make an immediate disaster declaration so Loddon farmers can access special $75,000 recovery grants after the Christmas Day floods. Farmers today told Nationals leader and...
WORDS AND VIDEO
By Chris Earl
PRESSURE is growing for the State Government to make an immediate disaster declaration so Loddon farmers can access special $75,000 recovery grants after the Christmas Day floods.
Farmers today told Nationals leader and Murray Plains MP Peter Walsh that fences an estimated 300km of fencing had been lost in the deluge that dumped up to 175mm of rain around Wedderburn, Korong Vale, Borung, Mysia and Boort.
"We've only one paddock where all four boundary fences are still standing," said Korong Vale farmer Peter Gibson who watched swells from the Korong Creek swamp his paddocks and flow under the family home.
Some of those fences had been replaced after the October 2022 flood emergency.
And farmers are starting to count stock losses, predicted to go into the thousands.
Third generation Wedderburn Junction farmer John Tonkin said floodwaters had ripped through his property late Christmas Eve with a ferocity he had not seen before.
"I've had four floods in four years. By 11pm the waters were at full bore, bending fence posts. ripping out othersand pulling out fences," he said.
"Some hay bales I had out in the paddock have floated off somewhere."
Mr Tonkin said water in areas that normally escape flooding was up to three metres high who grazes the Merino self-replacing flock on his property and still plans to have them in the shearing shed next month.
Mr Tonkin and Mr Gibson are now preparing to round up sheep and count their losses.
Some farmers in the district have already reported stock losses with more than 150 lambs on one property and alpacas at another.
Rainfalls varied across the region in the deluge. "We had 90mm but 2km away there was 125mm," Mr Gibson said with Mr Tonkin having measured 127mm at Wedderburn Junction.
Mr Walsh spoke with affected farmers today and made a call for immediate declaration of a natural disaster by the State Government.
"An immediate response is needed for certainty. To make sure they can contain stock, fences need to be fixed," Mr Walsh said.
Mr Walsh said a declaration would give local farmers access to $75,000 in flood recovery grants and rural landholders $25,000.
The State Government has been contacted for comment.