It’s perhaps Australia’s most recognised identity. A sunburnt country, a land of drought and flooding rains. An historic legacy of extreme weather events so ingrained in our heritage it’s been immortalised in writing, music, and film.
Though as a nation we are no stranger to dry and wet seasons, cycles past have generally presented consecutively—years of drought followed by seasons of heavy rain, and so on. But 2022 paints a very different picture.
While Australia’s eastern coast and farmland has spent much of the year either under floodwater or living in the aftermath, other parts of the country—the far north and south—have recorded some of the driest months on record. And for many of those situated in the dry zones, the 2017-19 drought never really ended.
Water means life, and nowhere is that more evident than in the bush. Just as dry earth is inherently Australian, drought relief is inherent to Rural Aid’s DNA.
It was during a dry day in 2015, that Rural Aid founders, Tracy and Charles Alder launched their highly successful ‘Buy a Bale’ campaign to help struggling farmers feed their starving livestock following years of devastation through the millennium drought. From that galvanising moment, Rural Aid was born, and its drought relief services have since delivered water and fodder relief to some of the most remote corners of the country.
Northern Tablelands farmer, Bronwyn Sargeant, has resided in Gravesend—a dry zone—since childhood, existing through drought was a constant theme. But even that didn’t prepare her for the three years of relentless hardship she faced during Australia’s most recent drought cycle.
Having to sell off livestock month by month to make ends meet, then struggle to feed the remaining animals and care for her family pushed Bronwyn to breaking point. She reached out to Rural Aid, and became the 100th recipient of a new, full water tank via Rural Aid’s drought relief partnership with Finish.
“I would like to say a huge thank you to Rural Aid and Finish for providing the tank. It’s been a great drought strategy that will help us through the next one. And there will be a next one,” said Ms Sargeant.
“Supporting Australia with a more effective and sustainable drought strategy is one of our key objectives as an organisation, and specifically with our partnership with Finish. We are proud to have delivered more than 100 full water tanks to properties situated in dry zones—and we’ve no plans to stop there!” said John Warlters of Rural Aid.
