Mustering Up Hay and Fencers

THE community is asked to come and thank the local fire fighters and show their support to farmers affected by the Sir Ivan fire, by lining Kelly Street at 6:50am on Sunday to send off the convoy which is headed to help.

Small squares, large squares, round bales all types of hay is being mustered in Scone to be taken to areas affected by the Sir Ivan fire on Sunday and now efforts are focused on fencing supplies which are most needed by the farmers; even if people can buy two star pickets it will all help the organisers explained (see details on how to help below).

At midday on Saturday people can take donated hay and farm supplies to the Scone sale yards and on Sunday volunteers will gather for a 6am breakfast at the sale yards before going to the fire affected farms.

It was only last Tuesday evening that Brad Smith felt something needed to be done to help other farmers more than $26,000 has been raised, 22 trucks are ready to go and hundreds of bales of hay have been donated and they are encouraging people to help with fencing supplies and volunteer to fence the fire affected farms.

Brad is an Aberdeen farmer and member of the Dartbrook Rural Bush Fire brigade who said he felt helpless watching fellow farmers suffer from the fire and decided to do something about it.

“As a farmer you see other farmers struggle and you hope that no one you ever cared about was in that position that they are in and if they were you’d hope someone would be there to help,” said Brad.

“So we thought let’s get some hay over there, because they are obviously not going to have any feed,” he said.

“And then we thought let’s give it a crack and see how the community responds and within ten minutes I had a mate from Newcastle who is a truck driver ring up and  say he could have a b-double flat-bed there to take over and it has snow balled since then,” he said.

“We want to help them regain stability on the property, so their animals can get through the next little bit until they get a pick of grass and they can get your insurance payouts and start to rebuild,” Brad said.

The community gathered at the Durham Hotel in Wingen to raise funds for the farmers affected by the Sir Ivan fires.

On Friday night an auction at the Wingen Hotel approximately 200 people raised $22,000, which they described as an overwhelming response from the local community.

You can help by donating:

• fencing supplies, such as spare steel posts, gates, locks, latches, barbed wire, gloves, strainers and stays. There are local suppliers who are selling supplies at cost, to find out more about how you can help with fencing supplies phone Harry on 0400 396 960 or Warren on 0419 776 627;
• bottled water and snacks for the volunteers who will do fencing;
• irrigation supplies;
• hay: small squares, large squares, round bales, all types are welcome and
• cash to buy hay and farm supplies.

Make a cash donation: Fire Relief Fund: BSB: 063097 Account: 14008659.