Times are tough on farms across the country, rainfall hasn’t been at levels where it is supposed to be and it is killing crops and animals despite desperate and costly measures by farmers to keep things on an even keel.

Burrumbuttock Hay Runners has been a many times conducted effort to provide relief to farmers, earlier this year hundreds of trucks loaded with Hay made it’s way to Queensland to farms where it was needed the most and now an even bigger effort is scheduled for March 30.

Deniliquin is an active participant in this new effort with Purtills offering to match residents donations of fuel cards to the Burrumbuttock Hay Runners up to $2000, To make your donation simply go to Purtills and purchase a fuel card and ask for it to be donated to Burrumbuttock Hay Runners, the amount you donate will then be matched and your name (if you choose it to) will be added to a spreadsheet and given to organizers in Albury.

Gold coin donations can also be made at Bakers Delight as well as every Deniliquin Rams training session conducted during this month of March so if you have got any gold coins and you want to use them for a good cause then this is one that will tick most if not all your boxes.

Money donations can also be given to ‘The Rotary Club of Sydney’ and the details are the following

BSB: 062 438
ACC: 10211156
Description: Drought Appeal

Or send Cheques Payable to “The Rotary Club of Sydney Drought Appeal”
Post to Rotary Club of Sydney, GPO Box 1523, Sydney NSW 2001.

This effort shows humanity at it’s finest, the desire to help a fellow human being is something that is both special and long lasting and in the end the effort lasts into the future as millions of people are kept fed and hard working families hold on to their farms to continue to what they’ve done for many years beforehand.

Farmers have been against aspects of the Murray-Darling Basin plan for several years now and there is still no sign of an agreement being reached between farmers and the  Murray-Darling Basin Authority  (MDBA) as the latest battle is fought over environmental flows.

Whilst farmers understand and accept that environmental flows are for the good of nature as it would give life to billabongs, forests and wetlands as well as saving numerous species of native fish and birdlife from destruction, it would also cause problems for many farmers especially those in floodplains and low lying areas.

The flows require would cause masses of water to be pushed down the rivers and that in turn would create high levels of water which would spill over onto properties potentially causing all sorts of damage to crops and wash away vital topsoil as well as cutting off access to sections of property until water levels recede enough to property owners and farmhands access to the areas.

Another sticking point is how many times a year would the flows happen and how long would it cause disruption, so far answers to that question have not been answered despite repeated attempts to get an answer in negotiations with the MDBA and now the Government.

The NSW State Government have taken over negotiations with the farmers from the MDBA and are currently conducting an audit of crossings and other infrastructure on floodplains that may become affected by the proposed environmental flows.

There are reports that farmers assessment of the impact of the waters have come to the conclusion that they may have to replace farm crossing with bridges which would cost property owners tens of thousands of dollars in a time where that money would be better spent keeping buying animals and keeping them fed and watered.

There is also resistance to the audit from farmers in the Wakool district as they show their displeasure by refusing to let State Government officials onto their land to conduct the audits.

The MDBA claim it will take a decade to solve problems but this situation in many eyes has been dragging on for too long and the people demand fast answers and even faster action to not only protect the rivers but vital food growing and animal raising properties as well.