Rural Aid announces immediate financial help for flooded farmers

Posted on 6 November 20227 November 2022

Australia’s most trusted charity is offering immediate financial assistance to primary producers impacted by the recent flooding events.
Eligible, registered farmers across Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania can now apply for a $500 pre-paid visa card from Rural Aid.
Rural Aid CEO John Warlters said the financial assistance will help farmers make ends meet in this difficult time.  
“Many farmers are in an anxious state right now, with flood water putting livestock, crops and livelihoods at serious risk,” Mr Warlters said.
“When the flood water recedes and farmers survey the damage, the true extent of this flooding crisis will become clear.
“Rural Aid is standing with our farmers to help them work through what will be a lengthy, expensive and overwhelming recovery.
“This flood-specific financial assistance will help make the recovery that little bit easier.”
Leading agribusinesses GrainCorp and Elders have made generous donations collectively totalling $250,000 to support Rural Aid’s flood response efforts.
Mr Warlters said the donations were very welcome and meant Rural Aid would be able to assist more families in more communities.

Deniliquin farmer and Rural Aid board member, Airlie Landale said the floods have been devastating.
“It is nearly summer, yet it still feels like winter is rolling on and haunting us. It feels wrong to be speaking about too much rain, but the impact of recent floods has been devastating for so many,” Airlie said.
“Farmers have lost thousands upon thousands of hectares of crop, producers have lost livestock, fences and their homes, and rural communities and businesses have been isolated and inundated with water. It will take months – if not years – for people to recover, but I know the strength and resilience of our rural people will once again shine though.”
Mr Warlters added that the Rural Aid counselling team is ready to travel to the worst-affected communities.
“Where flood waters have safely receded, Rural Aid’s counsellors are preparing to head on-farm to offer dozens of farmgate chats, cups of tea and formal counselling sessions.
“I’d encourage any primary producer not already registered with Rural Aid to sign up today to access the full range of assistance measures on offer,” Mr Warlters finished.
Farmers can register at www.ruralaid.org.au or by calling 1300 327 624. Flood-affected farmers can apply for assistance here: https://www.ruralaid.org.au/services-provided/flood-assistance/
 
For more information or interviews, contact Rural Aid media on media@ruralaid.org.au or 0447 116 757.

About Rural Aid
Rural Aid is Australia’s most trusted rural charity. We stand with our farmers when they need us most. Rural Aid provides critical support to farmers affected by natural disaster through financial, wellbeing and fodder assistance. Rural Aid’s community programs help create more sustainable communities by building stronger futures for all Australian farmers. Find out more at www.ruralaid.org.au

Rural Aid wraps up fruitful time in Gayndah

Posted on 23 October 202224 October 2022

Volunteers from Australia’s most trusted rural charity have finished a week of improvement works in the North Burnett town of Gayndah.  

Thirty-five Rural Aid volunteers spent last week sprucing up the town’s buildings, clubs and public spaces as part of the award-winning Our Towns program.  

The Our Towns program is a Rural Aid commitment to work with rural towns over a five-year period to help bring to life the vision local leaders have for their community, with the help of $100,000.  

The Rural Aid volunteers have been hard at work restoring and repairing Gayndah’s Heritage Railway, CWA Hall, showgrounds, bowls club, Historical Society and pottery club.  

The team also gave a makeover to the Boyne Burnett Inland Rail Trail and the Binjour Bowls Club. 

Gayndah local leader Dael Giddins said the volunteers’ efforts helped lift a weight off the town.  

“The project has been amazing and has given the local volunteers a break,” Ms Giddins said.  

“Every one of these projects has been a feel-good project and there has been a real buzz.” 

 Rural Aid Farm and Community Coordinator Grant Miskimmin said it was the second time the volunteers had visited the town for a round of makeover works.  

“The volunteers have a real connection with the town,” Mr Miskimmin said.  

“Gayndah is a very special place full of amazing, community-minded residents. It’s fantastic to see it sitting a little taller and brighter after our week in town. 

“We can’t wait to see Gayndah continue to bring their Community Development Plan to life, a document that was created with small town expert Peter Kenyon from the Bank of I.D.E.A.S, at the start of the Our Towns journey. 

“And we’d also like to extend our thanks to Queensland Energy, who contributed financially to make our second visit to Gayndah possible,” Mr Miskimmin said.  

The Rural Aid volunteers arrived in town on Sunday 9 October and officially finished their week on Friday 14 October.  

 

For more information or interviews, contact Rural Aid media on media@ruralaid.org.au or 0447 116 757. 

  

About Rural Aid  Rural Aid is Australia’s most trusted rural charity. We stand with our farmers when they need us most. Rural Aid provides critical support to farmers affected by natural disaster through financial, wellbeing and fodder assistance. Rural Aid’s community programs help create more sustainable communities by building stronger futures for all Australian farmers. Find out more at www.ruralaid.org.au

Rural Aid helps farmers who’ve lost livestock, crops to floods

Posted on 18 October 202230 May 2023

Australia’s most trusted rural charity, Rural Aid, is helping farmers across Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania as they face devastating, widespread flooding.  

Rural Aid’s team of counsellors are conducting welfare checks on Rural Aid’s registered farmers. 

Rural Aid CEO John Warlters said the floods were hitting particularly hard in Victoria’s north, while in NSW and Queensland, farmers with crops nearing harvest were increasingly anxious as flood water and continuing rain caused costly downgrading. 

“It’s upsetting to hear stories of flooded homes, dead livestock, and flattened crops,” Mr Warlters said.  

“Winter crops are approaching harvest, so to see them downgraded or destroyed so close to the finish line is a devastating blow. 

“Losing livestock is truly heartbreaking for our farmers, who work so hard to keep their animals alive and healthy. 

“Months of hard work and investment has now been written off, alongside people’s homes, fences, sheds and machinery,” Mr Warlters said.   

Rural Aid has been on the front foot responding rapidly to the unfolding situation – sharing its dedicated counselling phoneline with the thousands of farmers in impacted regions and, where safe to do so, mobilising its counsellors to offer one-on-one emotional support to producers on-farm. 

Rural Aid has counsellors on the ground in Forbes, NSW and in northern Victoria. 

The entire counselling team has been phoning farmers across the flood-impacted regions.  

Registered primary producers are also being offered financial assistance as they deal with the devastating effects of the flood.  

More than 70 local government areas (LGAs) across the three states are directly affected, impacting thousands of families. 

The wellbeing team is the largest team within Rural Aid, reflecting the priority the charity places on addressing the mental health challenge confronting rural Australia.  

Rural Aid counsellors are expecting an increase in calls to its new, dedicated 1300 175 594 counselling line, as the extent of the current flooding situation becomes more apparent.  

Farmers registered with Rural Aid can access counselling support and request financial assistance and fodder for livestock.  

Producers that aren’t registered are encouraged to do so immediately via www.ruralaid.org.au or by calling 1300 327 624. 
 

For more information or interviews, contact Rural Aid media on media@ruralaid.org.au or 0447 116 757.  
 

About Rural Aid  Rural Aid is Australia’s most trusted rural charity. We stand with our farmers when they need us most. Rural Aid provides critical support to farmers affected by natural disaster through financial, wellbeing and fodder assistance. Rural Aid’s community programs help create more sustainable communities by building stronger futures for all Australian farmers. Find out more at www.ruralaid.org.au

Rural Aid is back in the Burnett!

Posted on 10 October 202210 October 2022

Volunteers from Australia’s most trusted rural charity are spending the week in Gayndah to work on another round of important town improvements.  

Thirty-five volunteers are lending their skills to a dozen projects as part of the Rural Aid Our Towns initiative.  

Gayndah is one of ten towns across Australia to receive $100,000 from Rural Aid to spend on town makeover works. 

Rural Aid Community Programs Coordinator Jen Curnow-Trotter said it was an honour to be welcomed back into the special town, after a team of volunteers first visited Gayndah in 2020. 

“We’re so excited to be back in Gayndah, a town Rural Aid shares a special bond with,” Ms Curnow-Trotter said.  

“It’s fantastic that we could squeeze in another week of makeovers. We’ve got a huge list of projects that we are excited to get started on. 

“Thanks to Queensland Energy, who contributed to Rural Aid’s funding of the Our Towns program, we can now complete jobs that we couldn’t get around to on our first visit to Gayndah,” Ms Curnow-Trotter said.  

The volunteers will work on Gayndah’s Heritage Railway, CWA Hall, showgrounds, jockey club, bowls club, Historical Society and pottery club.  

The team will also spend time on the Boyne Burnett Inland Rail Trail and the Binjour Bowls Club. 

The projects most in need of a helping hand were identified in community meetings run by small town expert Peter Kenyon from the Bank of I.D.E.A.S.  

A Community Development Plan was created from the meetings, which has guided Gayndah locals in the years since its inception.  

“It’s great to see Gayndah locals have been working hard on projects in between Rural Aid’s visits,” Ms Curnow-Trotter said. 

The volunteers arrived in town on Sunday 9 October and will be wrapping up their week on Friday 14 October.  

About Rural Aid  
Rural Aid is Australia’s most trusted rural charity. We stand with our farmers when they need us most. Rural Aid provides critical support to farmers affected by natural disaster through financial, wellbeing and fodder assistance. Rural Aid’s community programs help create more sustainable communities by building stronger futures for all Australian farmers. Find out more at www.ruralaid.org.au  The award-winning Our Towns program is part of Rural Aid’s Stronger Futures initiative. 
 
For interviews or more information, contact Rural Aid media on 0447 116 757 or media@ruralaid.org.au 

Rural Aid’s new national phone line for faster counselling access

Posted on 9 October 20229 October 2022

A new, dedicated phone line will allow farmers across the country to quickly and easily connect with the Rural Aid counselling team.
The direct line will ensure farmers are provided a faster and more trauma-informed response to their request for counselling.
Rural Aid’s counsellors are based across the country and offer free, confidential counselling to farmers and their families.
Rural Aid’s Manager of Mental Health and Wellbeing, Lauren Stracey, said the team will be able to prioritise and respond to calls more effectively with the new number (1300 175 594).

“We know that it’s important to have a trained counsellor help guide farmers through the period of reaching out for help,” Ms Stracey said.
“By initiating a dedicated 1300-line, farmers are able to access a trained counsellor who can support them with referrals for immediate needs, while getting a sense of their story and matching them with the most appropriate support.”
“Taking the first step in seeking support takes guts, but once you’ve done it you realise counselling is really just another tool you can use to get through tough times.”

“Rural Aid is experiencing an increase in the number of farmers reaching out for help at the moment. Some farmers are now at the stage where they are ready for mental health support, after experiencing disaster earlier this year. Also, farmers may have felt an increased sense of anxiety since the confirmation of a third La Nina event.”

“We want to make sure that if a farmer is ready to explore the idea of counselling, that we are there straight away to assist,” Ms Stracey said.
South Australian sheep farmer Kaye Wicker reached out to a Rural Aid counsellor after a series of personal hardships including the death of her brother and compounding financial stress.

“Not only was it very grief filled but it was just an incredible amount of work,” Ms Wicker said.

“It was just that intense fear of losing everything and not being able to keep it together.”

The Waitpinga farmer said she initially found it hard to speak about the things scaring her the most.

“I found my time working with my Rural Aid counsellor very beneficial, just to help breakdown those overwhelming feelings.”

Ms Wicker said the fact the counselling sessions are free meant a barrier was removed to accessing help.

“If there was a charge, I wouldn’t have been able to access it.”

“It takes a lot of courage to make that phonecall. But it’s well worth it if you do,” Ms Wicker said.

Rural Aid counsellors catch up with their farmers where they’re most comfortable; whether it’s on farm, in town, or over the phone.

To get in touch with a Rural Aid counsellor, phone 1300 175 594. This phone line is staffed by a Rural Aid counsellor between 9am and 5pm AEST, Monday to Friday.