Navigating Farm Operations Amidst Landslips
The Rural Recovery Support Service has observed that one of the key challenges faced following flood events is isolation due to road closures. This can significantly impact farm operations by limiting access to and from the property. In 2022, weather events in Kangaroo Valley caused multiple landslides on Bunkers Hill Road, making it impassable. A farmer located at the end of this road was particularly affected.
The road blockages severed access, making it impossible to obtain essential supplies such as livestock feed, pet food, fuel, seeds, and fertiliser. Furthermore, the impassable route prevented contractors from performing critical tasks like cutting and baling silage, reseeding pastures, and transporting cattle for regular sales from February to May.
Our client was connected to our Recovery Officer who identified effective collaboration with a network of stakeholders was crucial. Our officer acted as a liaison for the client, coordinating with supply stores, fuel distributors, cattle agents for scheduling sales, neighbours for using their facilities, and transport companies for arranging cattle movement dates.
Leveraging local insights, our recovery officer assisted the NSW Reconstruction Authority identify a suitable spot for a helicopter to deliver essential resources - fuel, seeds, fertiliser, and feed. They also facilitated the delivery of a generator, kindly donated by the charity GIVIT.
Through consistent communication, the recovery officer guided the landholder from standard operations to an adapted strategy. With no contractor available for silage production or pasture reseeding that year, a plan was revised to include two major cattle relocations. This required mustering the cattle by foot and navigating around the landslides, to yards with accessible loading facilities.
By January 2024, the client shared that the road had been repaired and access fully restored. They expressed optimism about resuming their usual farm activities in the coming year.
