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Words Harrison Davies
Producers in Victoria are assessing the damage after severe flooding in the central and western growing regions in the state were impacted.
Relief efforts have already kicked into gear, with both the Victorian state government and Rabobank announcing measures and grants to assist producers impacted by the flooding.
On Wednesday, the Victorian government announced a $73 million relief package that will deliver grants to help farmers and business owners clean up their properties, while business mentoring, concessional loans and transport subsidies will aim to help businesses get back on their feet.
The grants will cover activities like the removal and disposal of debris, repairing essential equipment, salvaging damaged crops and purchasing materials to clean up a properties or equipment.
“It’s been a tough week for so many communities across regional Victoria, and we want to make sure the cost of the recovery isn’t a burden for primary producers,” Victorian Minister for Agriculture Gayle Tierney said.
Rabobank will also offer a range of support measures to its farming clients adversely impacted by flooding and extreme rainfall across Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales.
Rabobank group executive country banking Marcel van Doremaele said the agricultural bank is making contact with clients in areas impacted by excessive rainfall and devastating flooding to check on their safety and wellbeing and offer support that is required.
“In terms of agriculture, areas in northern and central Victoria are of particular concern at the moment, following the flooding and damaging rainfall over the weekend and in recent days,” he said.
“In Victoria, prior to the weekend’s rain, the state had been on track for a record harvest.
“There has been some significant impact on yields for crops in low-lying areas with many under water in parts of central and northern Victoria, although crops on rolling and rising country are better placed.
“We are going to have to wait for all the forecast rain to come through and for waters to recede to see the full impact of the rains on production.”
Rabobank is working directly with clients affected by flooding and is offering options like waivers to break costs on early redemption of farm management deposits and deferrals of scheduled loan payments.
South Australia
Producers in South Australia’s Riverland wine region are bracing for impact as some expect flooding on the banks of the River Murray to be the highest in nearly 50 years.
Joe Caudo of Caudo Vineyard told The Advertiser that he was preparing for his business to be closed for around a year, predicting his cellar door will “go under” and flooding levels will reflect that of the 1974 floods.
The Department of Environment advised earlier this month that the flow into the Murray at the Victorian-SA border was about 79 gigalitres a day – and predicted to increase to around 90GL a day by mid-November.
Roads between Cadell and Mannum have already been closed, and the Big 4 Loxton Riverfront Holiday Park has been evacuated due to flooding.
SA Premier Peter Malinauskas said crews of engineers and flood planners had already been dispatched to the region to prepare the region for potential flooding.
“The Government has been in receipt of updated advice telling us that up to 120 gigalitres of water per day will start to flow down through the Riverland starting in early December,” Premier Malinauskas said.
“That is a revision upwards to the extent of 30 gigalitres a day which is a rather substantial amount indeed.
“We want to be prepared without raising unnecessary alarm.”
Malinauskas said that while the new projections are higher than initially thought, they do not suggest towns and population centres will be “inundated with major flood events”.
“But nonetheless we are advised that South Australia does face the prospect of more water coming down the River Murray than what we have seen since 1975,” he said.
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