Category: News

RURAL AID PARTNERS TO DELIVER SCHOOL SUPPORT FOR RURAL CHILDREN

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Using technology to support rural children with life-changing education opportunities

Children in the New South Wales Upper Hunter region will, from today, gain access to laptops as part of Rural Aid’s support of rural schools and their students.

Rural Aid CEO John Warlters said, Rural Aid will support nine schools in the Upper Hunter area of New South Wales through the provision of 203 laptops devices for their students to access remote learning resources.

“For many families, particularly those in rural and remote communities, gaining access to suitable technology, at speed, is required to enable remote learning,” John Warlters said. “Rural Aid is working directly with the Education Departments in New South Wales and Queensland to roll out technology support to more schools and students.

“With the challenges brought on now by COVID-19, adding to the impact of drought and fire for many of these farmers, these laptops will help rural families access much needed resources to educate their children from home and when they are back in the classroom.

School quotes

“Thank you so much, this is just truly amazing.” – John Ireland, Principal Quirindi Public School.

“There is not too much I can say really except: Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. – Ian Worley, Principal, Quirindi High School.

“Absolutely amazing!” – Jane McKenzie, Principal, Willow Tree Public School.

About Rural Aid

Rural Aid is one of Australia’s largest rural charities. Well known for the highly successful ‘Buy a Bale’ campaign, the charity also provides financial assistance, water and counselling to farmers in times of drought, flood or fire. Other initiatives support its vision that farming and rural communities are safeguarded to ensure their sustainability both during and after these natural disasters. Visit www.ruralaid.org.au for further information on these programs and other support for our rural communities.

Media: 0447 116 757 | media@admin.media.ruralaid.org.au

Spokesperson: Rural Aid CEO John Warlters | 0409 618 641

Images: Please contact media@admin.media.ruralaid.org.au or call 0447 116 757 for images.

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FIRE IMPACTED BEGA FARMERS RECEIVE MUCH NEEDED HAY FOR LIVESTOCK

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52 tonnes of hay to roll into Bega

Rural Aid are delivering 74 large bales of hay to five drought and fire affected Bega NSW farming families.

The Bega hay drop, funded from a $100,000 donation to Rural Aid, will assist local farming families struggling to feed livestock.

Rural Aid CEO John Warlters said this generous donation will go a long way to help make life a little easier for many of the farmers and their families. 

“Our farmers are going through challenging times,” John said. “They’ve been impacted by one of the longest droughts in recent history, followed by fires that have devasted the land, people, livestock and homes. Now they are dealing with the impact of current restrictions.

“Bega has a large dairy industry, its name synonymous with cheese, and there were many news reports showing the devastation that the recent fires had on the area, in particular the region’s dairy industry that including loss of pasture, fences and cows.

Livestock loss across NSW as a result of the fires exceeded 13,000 with over 16,000 landholders estimated to have been impacted by the fires. Southern NSW had the greatest losses with more than 12,000 head of livestock dying as a result of the fires¹. As of 28 January 2020, the fires in NSW had burnt 5.3 million hectares or 6.7% of the State².

The generosity of this donor has also allowed Rural Aid to deliver hay to other farmers in NSW fire impacted areas.

“Transport continues to be an essential service during these current restrictions and since the 16 April 2020, trucks loaded with 12 trailers of donated hay, were also delivered to 38 farmers at six other NSW locations by leveraging Rural Aid’s proven delivery model, ensuring farmers could feed their livestock.”

Date Location Farmers Large bales of hay
16 April 2020 Braidwood 9 66
27 April 2020 Coolagolite 5 66
28 April 2020 Cobargo 5 66
29 April 2020 Wandella 8 66
5 May 2020 Verona 6 74
6 May 2020 Quaama 5 74

Bureau of Meteorology

The Bureau of Meteorology noted in the Events section of its Annual Climate Statement 2019, published on 9 January 2020, that, ‘The extensive and long-lived fires appear to be the largest in scale in the modern record in New South Wales, while the total area burnt appears to be the largest in a single recorded fire season for eastern Australia’³.

  • Warmest year on record for Australia – mean temperature 1.52 °C above average
  • Warmest year on record for New South Wales and Western Australia
  • Annual total rainfall 40% below average with much of Australia affected by drought

“Sadly, it’s not surprising that many farmers are contacting us for assistance, however it’s the generosity of organisations that allows us, at Rural Aid, to continue to support our farmers and their families.” 

Bega Hay Drop Delivery Information:

When:  11am Tuesday 12 May 2020

Where: 826 Angledale Road, Bega NSW 2550

¹Sourced from NSW Department of Primary Industries  

²Sourced from Parliament of Australia Parliamentary Library

³Sourced from Bureau of Meteorology (BOM)

About Rural Aid

Rural Aid is one of Australia’s largest rural charities. Well known for the highly successful ‘Buy a Bale’ campaign, the charity also provides financial assistance, water and counselling to farmers in times of drought, flood or fire. Other initiatives support its vision that farming and rural communities are safeguarded to ensure their sustainability both during and after these natural disasters. Visit www.ruralaid.org.au for further information on these programs and other support for our rural communities.

Visit www.ruralaid.org.au/snapshots for Rural Aid’s latest assistance statistics.

Media: 0447 116 757 | media@admin.media.ruralaid.org.au

Spokesperson: Rural Aid CEO John Warlters | 0409 618 641

On Site Contact: Rural Aid Business Development Manager – NSW Craig Marsh | 0427 976 294

Follow Rural Aid for updates on:

RURAL AID DELIVERS OVER $8M IN ASSISTANCE TO FARMERS AND THEIR COMMUNITIES

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Almost 16,000 bales of hay delivered to drought and fire affected farmers

Today, Rural Aid released its latest quarterly Snapshot figures outlining the charity’s assistance to farmers and their rural communities for January to March 2020 – www.ruralaid.org.au/snapshots.

Rural Aid CEO, John Warlters said between January and March 2020, Rural Aid delivered 15,974 large bales of hay worth $3.23 million into 190 locations to 1143 drought and fire affected farmers.

“That’s almost 100 farmers per week receiving 1331 large bales of hay transported on the back of 37 trucks,” John said. “We also delivered over $335,000 of domestic drinking water to 640 farmers.”

“Each water truck delivered, on average, 19,000 litres, so that means around 12.16 million litres of 12.16 mega litres of water was delivered to our farmers between January and March. That’s almost five Olympic size swimming pools full of domestic drinking water.”

Over this same period, over $2.34 million in financial assistance was distributed to 1564 farmers and over $1.84 million in gift cards was distributed to farmers, with many spending in their communities, supporting local economies.

However, COVID-19 restrictions have changed the way Rural Aid has had to deliver some of the programs and initiatives.

“Our wonderful and generous Farm Army volunteers and our Farm and Community Rescue Team can no longer travel, so for now, the 10 Towns Makeover and the Farm and Community Rescues are on hold,” John said. “But planning is still going ahead with the 10 Towns and our Community Builders Series webinars, launching on 5 May 2020, will assist rural communities to be ready for when the rest of Australia can visit them again.”

Many of Rural Aid’s counsellors travel to farms to work with their clients. However, for now, this has changed with Rural Aid’s counsellors only offering tele counselling services.

“With many of our farmers experiencing so much uncertainty from natural disasters and now, COVID-19, our counsellors have been extremely busy supporting them,” John said. “In the first quarter of this year, Rural Aid’s counsellors made phone contact with 1528 farmers and in that same period, Rural Aid received 1768 new registrations requesting counselling support.”

The Gift of Music program continued to deliver musical instruments to rural and remote schools, though the Gift of Music team can no longer personally deliver instruments to very excited children and their teachers.

Between January and March, we delivered 216 musical instruments, valued at over $131,600, to 18 rural and remote schools, giving over 4000 students access to learning a musical instrument. Many of these children would not have had these opportunities.

“We could not do this without the generosity of everyday Aussies and our corporate sponsors,” John said. “It’s their continuing support that enables Rural Aid to assist farmers and their communities through our various programs and initiatives.”

“Since July 2019, Rural Aid has distributed over $23 million in assistance to farmers and their communities. Now, more so than ever, we are leveraging our proven delivery model to ensure assistance reaches drought, fire and now COVID-19 affected farmers.”

If you are a primary producer or farmer and require assistance, please register at: www.ruralaid.org.au. Primary producers and farmers must be registered with Rural Aid to receive assistance.

To help us to continue to deliver this much needed aid to our farmers, their families and their communities, please support Rural Aid by donating at www.buyabale.com.au/donate.

Media enquiries: 0447 116 757 | media@admin.media.ruralaid.org.au

Media spokesperson:  Rural Aid CEO John Warlters – 0409 618 641

About Rural Aid

Rural Aid is one of Australia’s largest rural charities. Well known for the highly successful ‘Buy a Bale’ campaign, the charity also provides financial assistance, water and counselling to farmers in times of drought, flood or fire. Other initiatives support its vision that farming and rural communities are safeguarded to ensure their sustainability both during and after these natural disasters. Visit www.ruralaid.org.au for further information on these programs and other support for our rural communities.

Visit www.ruralaid.org.au/snapshots for Rural Aid’s latest assistance statistics.

Visit www.ruralaid.org.au/towns/webinars/ for Rural Aid’s Community Builders Series webinars information.

Follow Rural Aid for updates on: 

RURAL AID LAUNCHES RURAL COMMUNITY BUILDERS WEBINAR SERIES

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Ideas prepared, experts engaged – webinars to assist rural community sustainability

A new free webinar series, hosted by Rural Aid and launching on 5 May 2020, will help facilitate the exchange of information and ideas relevant to long-term viability of rural communities.

Rural Aid CEO John Warlters said the The Community Builders Series webinars, created by Rural Aid Co-founder Charles Alder, will allow rural communities and interested parties to engage with experts in rural rebuilding and sustainability.

“The Community Builders Series webinars, to be held at 10am every Tuesday from 5 May to 7 July 2020, will also allow rural communities, farmers and anyone interested in rural Australia, opportunities to connect, exchange ideas and information to broaden their collective knowledge,” John said.

“Many rural communities are isolated, more so now during COVID-19 movement restrictions, and have been impacted by the drought and fires. We wanted to continue to assist rural communities to be ready for when the rest of Australia can visit them again.

“The Community Builders Series is a new Rural Aid initiative and a new way for Rural Aid to continue to support rural communities and farmers during these restrictive times. It will help bring the world of expertise, ideas exchange and engagement into their homes.”

Rural Aid’s first guest expert is Bank of I.D.E.A.S. Director and Founder, Peter Kenyon who has been working with Rural Aid on the 10 Towns Makeover, now postponed.

Peter is both nationally and internationally recognised for the work he has done for over 35 years with more than 2000 communities in Australia and overseas. He has helped these communities bring about community change and renewal.

“We are really excited to have Peter Kenyon as our first guest expert. He is motivated by the desire to create healthy, caring, inclusive, connected, sustainable and enterprising communities and local economies,” John said.

Like Rural Aid, Peter Kenyon and his team at Bank of I.D.E.A.S. are interested in ‘making things happen’ at the community level.

“When I’m working with a community, I facilitate to draw out the expertise of the community members, so they work together to build their community from the inside out,” Peter Kenyon said. “What I will bring to the webinar series will be no different.

“I will talk about and give case studies on what it takes for a town to have a successful renewal. Why it’s important for community members to invest themselves, their ideas, assets and resources in the process for it to succeed.”

To register to be part of The Community Builders Series, go towww.ruralaid.org.au/towns/webinars.

Media enquiries: 0447 116 757 | media@admin.media.ruralaid.org.au

Onsite media spokespersons:

  • Rural Aid CEO John Warlters – 0409 618 641
  • Director and Founder Bank of I.D.E.A.S., Peter Kenyon – 0417 183 719

About Rural Aid

Rural Aid is one of Australia’s largest rural charities. Well known for the highly successful ‘Buy a Bale’ campaign, the charity also provides financial assistance, water and counselling to farmers in times of drought, flood or fire. Other initiatives support its vision that farming and rural communities are safeguarded to ensure their sustainability both during and after these natural disasters. Visit www.ruralaid.org.au for further information on these programs and other support for our rural communities.

Visit www.ruralaid.org.au/snapshots for Rural Aid’s latest assistance statistics.

Follow Rural Aid for updates on: 

MORGANS FINANCIAL DONATES OVER $1.3M TO RURAL AID FOR GIFT CARDS FOR FARMERS

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Over 2.7K gift cards sent to farmers in the first three months of 2020

In the first three months of 2020, over 2700 farmers, registered with Rural Aid, each received a $500 pre-paid Visa Country Cards, valued at over $1.3 million, thanks to the generosity of Morgans Financial (Morgans), Australia’s largest national full-service stockbroking and wealth management network.

Rural Aid National Business Development Manager, Wayne Thomson said over $1.3 million of pre-paid Visa Country Cards sent to farmers, registered with Rural Aid for assistance, will go a long way to help make life a little easier for many of the farmers and their families.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Morgans and their community for their generous donation,” Wayne said. “Many of the gift cards will be spent in the farmers’ local communities which will also support local businesses and local economies. It’s a wonderful way of saying to our farmers and their communities that you are not forgotten, that we are here to support you.”

Morgans Financial Limited Executive Chairman, Brian Sheahan said over $1.3 million raised was the culmination of the Morgans community coming together to raise money for our Big Dry Friday fundraiser for rural and regional Australia.

“Big Dry Friday is a Morgans staff impetus in recognition of the importance of rural and regional Australia to the whole country and to our economy, and the impact that the drought is having on those communities,” Brian said. “I’m very proud of the Morgans community, all of our staff, supporters and clients who contributed to this fundraiser and thank Rural Aid for facilitating the distribution of these funds to our farmers.

“Hopefully, the rains will continue to come for all of Australia, bringing better times, and rural and regional Australia will have a better life.”

Wayne Thomson explained that even though we are seeing rain in many places, drought remains a prevailing factor for huge swathes of the country.

“Unfortunately, that means 86% of NSW¹ is still drought impacted, while over 67% of Queensland² is drought declared,” Wayne said. “Added to this is the impact of the devasting fires that swept through NSW, Victoria and parts of Queensland and South Australia. Now, farmers are also dealing with the impact of COVID-19 restrictions.

“It is not surprising that many farmers are contacting us for assistance and it’s the generosity of organisations like Morgans that allows us, at Rural Aid, to continue to support our farmers and their families.”

Messages of thanks from farming families

Livestock Farmer NSW

Not sure if your office is staffed at the moment, but just wanted to send a BIG THANK YOU to you all for the recent help we have received from you by way of some bales of hay and also a $500 gift card from the Morgans Big Dry Friday.

We feel so grateful for your help and we just wanted to express our sincere thanks and that during this time of COVID-19 when the world is in lockdown, we, the farmers of Australia are still working tirelessly to ensure that there is and will continue to be plenty of food for this great nation.

The people of Australia have supported us and we will continue to have your back too.

Once again, thank you for helping our family to continue to farm

Crop Farmer NSW

Hello
I would like to pass on a very big thank you to Rural Aid for the $500 country card that arrived in the mail today. What a wonderful surprise it was to find this in the mail.

This drought has been difficult for many farmers and we appreciate the donations and subsidies we were provided to get through. Now in this pandemic so many are out of work and anxious about where their next family meal will come from. Us farmers are pushing through and preparing to sow the 2020 wheat crop, to ensure Australia has enough wheat. We all support each other. Thank you for your support.

  1. https://edis.dpi.nsw.gov.au/ updated 14 April 2020
  2. https://www.longpaddock.qld.gov.au/drought/drought-declarations/ QLD updated 1 March 2020

Media enquiries: 0447 116 757 | media@admin.media.ruralaid.org.au

Media spokesperson: Rural Aid National Business Development Manager Wayne Thomson – 0476 647 281

About Rural Aid

Rural Aid is one of Australia’s largest rural charities. Well known for the highly successful ‘Buy a Bale’ campaign, the charity also provides financial assistance, water and counselling to farmers in times of drought, flood or fire. Other initiatives support its vision that farming and rural communities are safeguarded to ensure their sustainability both during and after these natural disasters. Visit www.ruralaid.org.au for further information on these programs and other support for our rural communities.

Visit www.ruralaid.org.au/snapshots for Rural Aid’s latest assistance statistics.

Follow Rural Aid for updates on: