NSW floods take toll on Far West farmers and residents
| 23.11,22. 02:25 PM |
NSW floods take toll on Far West farmers and residents
Spring harvest is still at a standstill at Jack Denyer's farm near Walgett in Far West NSW and might not be underway until January.
Mr Denyer said floodwater had affected almost 50 per cent of his crop and left almost 12 per cent unable to be harvested.
He said flooding had caused a 30 per cent hit to his profits, as a conservative estimate.
"I'd say if the rain stops and stays stopped, we're probably 10 days away from getting some high country," Mr Denyer said.
"But to get all of it we're looking late December early January.
"The 2012 [flood] I don't remember so well, but Dad says it's probably just as bad, if not worse."
Mr Denyer has been isolated from the closest towns of Walgett and Wee Waa on and off for the past three weeks.
He said he had lost nearly 40 of his 2,000 sheep due to flooding and disease.
"The cattle have held on really well, we've done the best for them," he said.
"But it has definitely taken a toll on their weight gain and their progress, as they're stressed all the time, so that's also been a very costly exercise."
Community working together
Brewarrina Shire Council mayor Vivian Slack-Smith said the community had felt forgotten during the flood crisis, but praised residents for "pulling together".
"We hear on the news. They go, Walgett, Bourke and they miss Brewarrina, but we're in the same boat. We've had same amount of floodwater as anyone else," she said.
"And that's fine, but we've just managed I suppose we haven't made a big song and dance about too much."
While a majority of residents were isolated and using boats to cross floodwater, Ms Slack-Smith said innovative ways of keeping the town supplied had been achieved by placing vehicles and milk trucks on low loaders.
"We have no car access, we're getting supplies from the south with the help of the shire, they're bringing little trucks in with their milk and bread and things," she said.
"Apart from being a nuisance and cutting off some of the close little communities around town that have to get boats to and from the main part of town, we've faired pretty well really."
She said the council had been fantastic.
"We've had the other things, there's been few sewage breaks but people have been working around the clock."
