Eugowra farmer Ray Townsend reflects on the devastating 2022 floods
In March 2023, a group of 25 Rural Aid volunteers travelled to Eugowra, in Central West New South Wales, to assist locals with recovery efforts following the devastating flood crisis of late 2022. The event has since been categorised as the worst natural disaster in Australian history, with a damage bill in excess of $5 billion.
For some, the record-breaking disaster was the final blow, with two major flooding events having already struck the region in the preceding weeks and months. By December, the decimation to properties, equipment, lives, and livelihoods was beyond comprehension, and the prospect of recovery… simply overwhelming.
Eugowra farmer, Ray Townsend, was a recipient of Rural Aid’s volunteer assistance in March. With hundreds of metres of his fencing ripped out and destroyed in the course of the inundation, his family farm was rendered inoperable. The scale of the event and damage was greater than anything Ray had ever experienced.
A Rural Aid volunteer clears flood debris from a bent fence
“It’s hard to explain how bad they [the floods] were. They were bigger than anything I’ve seen in my lifetime,” said Ray, his words echoing the disbelief and horror of many of his neighbours.
The cost and availability of materials has also presented farmers with an additional obstacle on the road to recovery. The average cost of fencing materials can vary between $6 and $12 per metre. With 12,000km of fencing destroyed in the course of the flooding in Victoria alone, the cost of materials for rebuilding could land anywhere between $72M to $144M.
“The damage to the fencing and irrigation infrastructure has been hard to put a value on yet. The further we get into it the more we realise the repair work we have to do,” said Ray.
Rural Aid volunteers repair a flood-damaged fence
Neighbouring farmer, Dave Herbert, also lost a huge share of his fencing and cropping assets. With his family having farmed the region since the early settlers, Dave said the flooding event caused more widespread damage to the region than anything seen over the last 70 years. His praise and gratitude for the assistance of Rural Aid’s volunteers was abounding.
“The thing that they bring, apart from the hard work they’ve put in, is actually just that community aspect. You know that you’ve got people out there that care about what’s happened to you and it restores a bit of faith in what you’re trying to do moving forward to recover,” said Dave.
The journey to recovery isn’t a one-way street. Rural Aid volunteers are quick to share the joy and gratitude they feel for being able to support Australian farmers in need.
Volunteers Damien and Yvonne Harvey are happy to help disaster-affected farmers
Damien and Yvonne Harvey of Newcastle have been volunteering with Rural Aid since 2018.
“It’s a great way to give back to people who are the quiet achievers of this country. They don’t complain, they’ll usually point you to someone who’s worse off than they are, which I find remarkable. And yet they’re so appreciative of the work that we do,” said Damien.
Similarly, Warren Bruce of Samford Valley has found great value and purpose in his five years volunteering with Rural Aid.
“I really enjoy working for these salt-of-the-earth folks. I think it’s very rewarding, really an enjoyable experience and you meet so many likeminded people who get a lot of doing a bit to give something back. It’s a good feeling,” he said.
While we’ve been able to assist Ray, Dave, and numerous other farmers of the Eugowra region, there is still so much work to be done. Rural Aid has further recovery visits scheduled in the coming months, including Kerang, Orbost, Three Springs and Northern New South Wales.
Your support helps fund Rural Aid’s volunteer missions as well all our vital relief and recovery services available to registered farmers. Thank you for standing with our mates in the bush when they need it most!