Latest news with #BradPerry
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Volunteer firefighter's heartbreaking call as he vanished into the Texas floods... while his wife survived by clinging to a tree
Brad Perry was vacationing with his wife, Tina, for the first time in their brand-new RV at a campground in Kerrville, Texas, when disaster struck on Friday. The couple was startled awake around 5am by a thundering crash. Brad, 49, and Tina, 52, got up to investigate and discovered their RV was being swept away by rapidly rising, knee-deep floodwaters, a source close to the family told In a desperate scramble, the pair climbed onto the back of a pickup truck and tried to hoist themselves up a nearby tree. However, while Brad was able to claw himself to temporary safety, Tina got caught in the rapids and vanished downstream. Brad briefly spoke with the couple's youngest son on the phone, informing him through labored breath that he was up a tree and his mom was 'gone.' He quickly hung up and hasn't been seen or heard from since. Remarkably, Tina would be rescued just over a half-mile from the RV park at around 6.30am on Friday after a local woman heard her calling for help 15 feet up a tree downstream, according to local reports. As of Monday night, Brad is among roughly 41 people who are still unaccounted for since the floods began. At least 94 people have so far been confirmed dead, including 27 campers and counselors at the all-girls summer school Camp Mystic. Now, loved ones are clinging to the hope that Brad, a tough and resourceful former volunteer firefighter, will pull off a miracle of his own - just like Tina. Brad Perry was formerly a volunteer firefighter in League City. 'If anyone could survive something like this, it's Brad,' said a source close to the family 'We're staying hopeful. We wouldn't be here if we weren't,' a source said. 'If anyone could survive something like this, it's Brad - he's smart, he's athletic, and he's tough,' continued the source, adding that in his free time, Brad cycles, scuba dives, and is otherwise very 'adventurous' and brave. 'He's a wonderful guy,' they added. 'We weren't worried about him when this first happened… we just want him home now.' Brad's loved ones have received no updates or information about his disappearance since Friday. Some relatives have traveled to the HTR TX Hill Country RV Park & Campground, where Brad and Tina were camped, but found no trace of him or the couple's RV. 'Everything was swept away,' said the source. Tina, meanwhile, is currently recovering in the hospital. The source said her condition is stable but described her as being 'pretty banged up.' Her sister, Julia Schwenk Purnell, told the Houston Chronicle that Tina suffered scratches, bruises, hypothermia, a punctured lung, and a ripped lip, but she was expected to be released from the hospital on Monday. There was also so much debris in her hair that she debated shaving it off, Purnell said. Recounting her siblings' remarkable fight for survival, Purnell told the outlet that Tina clawed at anything she could reach after she was swept up in the current away from Brad. 'She said, 'I'm not going to die today,'' said Purnell. Footage shared with the Chronicle showed Tina trudging up the shore, shoeless, assisted by a group of first responders. Now, she and her family are left waiting for news about Brad. Some family members have sent in photos of tattoos, taken DNA tests, and have even helped first responders look for bodies in the area, according to Purnell. A desperate search and rescue operation remains ongoing across the area as further forecasted rainfall threatens additional catastrophe. The flooding began late Thursday after 12 inches of rain fell across the Texas Hill Country, rapidly overwhelming the Guadalupe River, causing it to rise 26 feet in just 45 minutes. Kerr County was hit hardest by the floods. There, authorities have found the bodies of 75 people, including 27 children, Sheriff Larry Leitha said Monday morning. Fatalities in nearby counties brought the total number of deaths to 94 as of Monday afternoon. The total death toll is expected to soar into triple figures in the coming days. As of Monday afternoon, 10 girls and a counselor are still unaccounted for at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the Guadalupe River. 'We have been in communication with local and state authorities who are tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls,' the camp said in a statement. Officials have come under scrutiny over why residents and youth summer camps along the river were not alerted sooner or told to evacuate. The first weather warning was issued at 1.18pm on July 3, but framed the incoming rainfall as only a 'moderate' storm. The National Weather Service escalated the alert to a flash flood warning at 1am Friday, followed by a more serious Flash Flood Emergency by 4.30am. But by this point, water was already pouring into families' homes - and in some cases ripping them from their foundations. Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said during a Monday news conference that he did not immediately know if there had been any communication between law enforcement and the summer camps between 1am and 4am on Friday. However, Rice said various factors, including spotty cell service in some of the more rural areas of Kerr County and cell towers that might have gone out of service during the weather, could have hindered communication. Authorities vowed that after the search and rescue mission concludes, a full examination will take place to determine whether enough warnings were issued and why some camps did not evacuate or move to higher ground in areas long vulnerable to flooding. Many Texans have blamed authorities' slow response for being the reason the floods have proved so deadly. Around 600 staffers were recently dismissed from the National Weather Service's workforce as part of President Donald Trump's sweeping cuts to federal services. NWS had recently begun the process of hiring 100 new employees. Trump has also proposed cuts to FEMA and NOAA, federal agencies that conduct climate research and help prepare states for natural disasters. The president signed a major disaster declaration Sunday for Kerr County and said he would likely visit Friday. Trump declined to comment when asked if he was still planning to phase out FEMA, but said he isn't planning on rehiring any of the federal meteorologists that were axed as part of his spending cuts. 'This was a thing that happened in seconds. Nobody expected it,' he said. Rescue teams are frantically searching for missing victims, including 10 girls and a counselor who were at Camp Mystic (pictured), a Christian summer camp along the river in Kerr County The Texas Hill Country in the central part of the state is naturally prone to flash flooding due to the dry dirt-packed areas where the soil lets rain skid along the surface of the landscape instead of soaking it up. Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, denied that the government cuts in any way contributed to Friday's disaster. 'There's a time to have political fights, there's a time to disagree. This is not that time,' Cruz said. 'There will be a time to find out what could have been done differently. My hope is in time we learn some lessons to implement the next time there is a flood.' Survivors have described the floods as a 'pitch black wall of death' and said they received no emergency warnings. The flash floods have erased campgrounds and torn homes from their foundations. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, who lives along the Guadalupe River, said Saturday that 'nobody saw this coming.' 'It's going to be a long time before we're ever able to clean it up, much less rebuild it,' said Kelly.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Former Volunteer Firefighter Reportedly Missing but Wife Found Alive After Clinging to Trees in Texas Flood Disaster
A former volunteer firefighter is missing and his wife has been found safe after they were caught in the Texas flooding disaster while camping on Friday, July 4 Both Brad and Tina Perry clung to trees when their RV was swept away while they camped in Kerrville, friends told a local news outlet Brad has not been heard from since he spoke with his son briefly on the phone during the flood, while Tina was found alive and hospitalizedA former volunteer firefighter is still missing but his wife has been found safe after they both clung to trees when deadly floodwater came through Texas' Hill Country, according to friends. Brad and Tina Perry, of League City, were camping in their RV in Kerrville when the rain-swollen waters rose early in the morning on Friday, July 4, friends Steven and Debbie Whatley told CBS affiliate KHOU. Around 5 a.m. local time, Brad, 49, told the friends that he was forced to climb on top of a tree when water swept away the RV, according to the Whatleys. Debbie said the couple's youngest son, who is 18 years old, was able to briefly speak to his dad on the phone after receiving a 911 alert from Brad's phone. The son, according to Debbie, said his dad was breathing in a 'labored' manner as he told him, 'I'm in a tree. Your mom is gone. I got to go.' Brad has not been heard from since. Brad previously worked as a volunteer firefighter for League City, the Whatleys told KHOU. They said he worked in swift water rescue while with the department. Tina, 52, was later found clinging to a tree and yelling for help, another family friend said. She was transported to a local hospital with a broken rib and punctured lung. Kerr County, where Kerrville is located, was hit the hardest by the floods: Authorities say approximately 70 people, at least, have died and another 11 people remain missing after the flash flooding disaster, according to the Associated Press and CBS News. At a midday news conference on Sunday, July 6, officials said 38 adults and 21 children were among the rising death toll; 18 adults and four children have yet to be identified. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has declared Sunday as a day of prayer 'for the healing of individuals, safety of our first responders and public safety officers, rebuilding communities, and restoration of the region struck by this disaster." 'Texans are known for their faith, strength, and resilience,' Abbott said in a statement. 'Even as floodwaters raged, neighbors rushed in to rescue, comfort, and bring hope. In times of loss, we turn to God for comfort, healing, and strength.' He continued, 'I urge every Texan to join me in prayer this Sunday—for the lives lost, for those still missing, for the recovery of our communities, and for the safety of those on the front lines.' Read the original article on People
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Former Volunteer Firefighter Reportedly Missing but Wife Found Alive After Clinging to Trees in Texas Flood Disaster
A former volunteer firefighter is missing and his wife has been found safe after they were caught in the Texas flooding disaster while camping on Friday, July 4 Both Brad and Tina Perry clung to trees when their RV was swept away while they camped in Kerrville, friends told a local news outlet Brad has not been heard from since he spoke with his son briefly on the phone during the flood, while Tina was found alive and hospitalizedA former volunteer firefighter is still missing but his wife has been found safe after they both clung to trees when deadly floodwater came through Texas' Hill Country, according to friends. Brad and Tina Perry, of League City, were camping in their RV in Kerrville when the rain-swollen waters rose early in the morning on Friday, July 4, friends Steven and Debbie Whatley told CBS affiliate KHOU. Around 5 a.m. local time, Brad, 49, told the friends that he was forced to climb on top of a tree when water swept away the RV, according to the Whatleys. Debbie said the couple's youngest son, who is 18 years old, was able to briefly speak to his dad on the phone after receiving a 911 alert from Brad's phone. The son, according to Debbie, said his dad was breathing in a 'labored' manner as he told him, 'I'm in a tree. Your mom is gone. I got to go.' Brad has not been heard from since. Brad previously worked as a volunteer firefighter for League City, the Whatleys told KHOU. They said he worked in swift water rescue while with the department. Tina, 52, was later found clinging to a tree and yelling for help, another family friend said. She was transported to a local hospital with a broken rib and punctured lung. Kerr County, where Kerrville is located, was hit the hardest by the floods: Authorities say approximately 70 people, at least, have died and another 11 people remain missing after the flash flooding disaster, according to the Associated Press and CBS News. At a midday news conference on Sunday, July 6, officials said 38 adults and 21 children were among the rising death toll; 18 adults and four children have yet to be identified. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has declared Sunday as a day of prayer 'for the healing of individuals, safety of our first responders and public safety officers, rebuilding communities, and restoration of the region struck by this disaster." 'Texans are known for their faith, strength, and resilience,' Abbott said in a statement. 'Even as floodwaters raged, neighbors rushed in to rescue, comfort, and bring hope. In times of loss, we turn to God for comfort, healing, and strength.' He continued, 'I urge every Texan to join me in prayer this Sunday—for the lives lost, for those still missing, for the recovery of our communities, and for the safety of those on the front lines.' Read the original article on People
The Advertiser
12-05-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Farm leaders call for agriculture minister to prioritise drought-ridden regions
Farm groups are intensifying calls for the incoming federal agriculture minister to make drought a number one priority as seasonal and operating conditions continue to deteriorate across multiple states. A growing number of farmers in parts of South Australia, Victoria, NSW and Tasmania are facing one of the worst droughts on record, with little relief predicted at least until the end of May. Regions across South Australia are already recording record low rainfall, while parts of Tasmania, western Victoria and south-west New South Wales are enduring tinder dry spells. Producers across the four states are increasingly being forced to ship in water, hay and grain, while southern livestock markets are being inundated with animals some can no longer afford to tend. Farm groups have been calling for greater drought support from state governments for two years to cover things like increased water, freight and other input costs and, increasingly, for federal intervention. Grain Producers SA chief executive Brad Perry said while the organisation has previously invited Agriculture Minister Julie Collins to visit drought-affected farmers in South Australia, "with her re-appointment, we are extending the invite once again". "We congratulate the minister on being back in the Ag portfolio and we need her to see the impact the drought is having on the South Australian grain industry firsthand," he said. "After the driest 16-month period in living memory in SA, our growers will need every bit of support to get through one of the toughest years we are likely to ever face." The Albanese government has set aside $67 million to the next phase of the Regional Drought Resilience Planning program, part of the $520 million Future Drought Fund and progressed work on a drought plan to support farmers through the cycle of preparing for, managing, and recovering from drought and signed the National Drought Agreement 2024 to 2029 with state and territory governments. However, producers remain asking what it can do to provide immediate relief? In a statement released following her reappointment on May 12, Ms Collins promised Australia's farmers and producers that "I will never stop listening and engaging with you" to "be a true representative for you in the Albanese Labor Government". "This is especially important now as some farmers and producers across the country face difficult circumstances, including drier conditions and recent weather events," she said. NSW Farmers president Xavier Martin echoed Mr Perry's call in asking that Ms Collins visit the most heavily-impacted dry areas across Australia. "Getting out into drought-affected regions and speaking with the farmers and communities living through these conditions should be the first order of business for our federal agriculture minister once our new government is formed," he said. "Farmers know how to manage risk and prepare for dry periods, but our federal government needs to see firsthand how the support of practical, long-term initiatives to grow farm businesses is essential to getting through these difficult times. "Farmers should not be feeling forgotten in this drought - nor should they have nowhere to turn to get the advice and tools they need to get through the reality of business in a tough landscape." Two sales in Victoria last week saw unusually high volumes go through the yards, in Leongatha with 4000 head and Yea, 3000, related to the ongoing dry with areas like Gippsland in Victoria, an area that usually provides feed and growth in abundance during autumn, currently lacking both. Victorian Farmers Federation president Brett Hosking also hopes Labor leaders will visit the state and offer meaningful support after neither Prime Minister Anthony Albanese or Coalition leader Peter Dutton visited drought-affected farms during the campaign. "No one went and visited the farmers with no water in their dams, the ones suffering drought for 18 months and wondering what this cropping season will look like for them," he said. Meanwhile, former deputy prime minister Michael McCormack said there were already two drought-declared local government areas within his electorate of Riverina in southern NSW. "It is really worrying our farmers, all I got at pre-polls over the last two weeks was how dry it was," the Nationals MP said. "Our cattle and sheep cannot live on dust and nor can our farmers, and I hope that this incoming government acknowledges that we are potentially heading into drought. "But you look at much of regional NSW and Victoria in a long dry spell, and there is no regional funding." Dan Tehan, the federal member for Wannon in western Victoria, backed calls for urgent state funding and said the Coalition planned to assess the potential delivery of more water infrastructure for the long-term future of the regions if electd. "Our farmers need immediate relief and we have to look at using national water grid funding for the long-term water needs of our region," he said. He also said farmers needed to see action to address the outcomes of the recent reviews into the RIC and FDF drought hubs, "so these can be the effective tools we need, so we can invest, prepare, and properly manage for drought on-farm." In early April, the South Australian government announced a wide-ranging $55 million drought support package for South Australian farmers. It included measures like on-farm infrastructure grants, emergency service levy and vehicle registration rebates, investments in regional water standpipes, bulk water provision, pest culling programs to tackle grazing pressure, as well as several measures targeted at regional communities. However, things will likely get worse before better with the state's prolonged dry spell now setting unwanted records. BOM data reveals Tanunda, in the normally verdant Barossa Valley, has received just 266mm for the year to the end of April, a staggering 273mm below its long-term mean. The lowest rainfall recorded for the period in the 123 years of data collection at the local weather station is a story playing out across the state. Meanwhile, the Victorian government has announced a $13.5m drought package focusing on 12 local government areas in the south-west, but United Dairy Farmers of Victoria president Bernie Free called on it to ramp up drought support for desperate farmers in the May 20 state budget. The National Farmers Federation has also called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to "get boots on the ground" to witness what farmers were battling. "It's what farmers and drought-affected communities deserve," NFF president David Jochinke said. "Drought dries up more than land. It drains local economies, family budgets and wellbeing. It's not just farmers who feel it, it's entire rural and regional communities." The NFF said while Australia had "well-established drought policy frameworks" at the Commonwealth level, it is imperative they remain responsive to changing conditions and work in tandem with support packages at the state level. Meanwhile, farmers are well-known for initiative and Suzie Kenny, a farmer based in South Australia's Streaky Bay and wellness coach, has come up a #SaveOurSheep campaign. "We are well-prepared in this area for droughts but the fact this is happening for so long is very, very unusual," she said. "It does not look we will see a break in the next few weeks so it will be June at the earliest before there is any paddock feed." Ms Kenny said in 2024 the area recorded just 104mm for the year, a fraction of its 325mm average rainfall. Farm groups are intensifying calls for the incoming federal agriculture minister to make drought a number one priority as seasonal and operating conditions continue to deteriorate across multiple states. A growing number of farmers in parts of South Australia, Victoria, NSW and Tasmania are facing one of the worst droughts on record, with little relief predicted at least until the end of May. Regions across South Australia are already recording record low rainfall, while parts of Tasmania, western Victoria and south-west New South Wales are enduring tinder dry spells. Producers across the four states are increasingly being forced to ship in water, hay and grain, while southern livestock markets are being inundated with animals some can no longer afford to tend. Farm groups have been calling for greater drought support from state governments for two years to cover things like increased water, freight and other input costs and, increasingly, for federal intervention. Grain Producers SA chief executive Brad Perry said while the organisation has previously invited Agriculture Minister Julie Collins to visit drought-affected farmers in South Australia, "with her re-appointment, we are extending the invite once again". "We congratulate the minister on being back in the Ag portfolio and we need her to see the impact the drought is having on the South Australian grain industry firsthand," he said. "After the driest 16-month period in living memory in SA, our growers will need every bit of support to get through one of the toughest years we are likely to ever face." The Albanese government has set aside $67 million to the next phase of the Regional Drought Resilience Planning program, part of the $520 million Future Drought Fund and progressed work on a drought plan to support farmers through the cycle of preparing for, managing, and recovering from drought and signed the National Drought Agreement 2024 to 2029 with state and territory governments. However, producers remain asking what it can do to provide immediate relief? In a statement released following her reappointment on May 12, Ms Collins promised Australia's farmers and producers that "I will never stop listening and engaging with you" to "be a true representative for you in the Albanese Labor Government". "This is especially important now as some farmers and producers across the country face difficult circumstances, including drier conditions and recent weather events," she said. NSW Farmers president Xavier Martin echoed Mr Perry's call in asking that Ms Collins visit the most heavily-impacted dry areas across Australia. "Getting out into drought-affected regions and speaking with the farmers and communities living through these conditions should be the first order of business for our federal agriculture minister once our new government is formed," he said. "Farmers know how to manage risk and prepare for dry periods, but our federal government needs to see firsthand how the support of practical, long-term initiatives to grow farm businesses is essential to getting through these difficult times. "Farmers should not be feeling forgotten in this drought - nor should they have nowhere to turn to get the advice and tools they need to get through the reality of business in a tough landscape." Two sales in Victoria last week saw unusually high volumes go through the yards, in Leongatha with 4000 head and Yea, 3000, related to the ongoing dry with areas like Gippsland in Victoria, an area that usually provides feed and growth in abundance during autumn, currently lacking both. Victorian Farmers Federation president Brett Hosking also hopes Labor leaders will visit the state and offer meaningful support after neither Prime Minister Anthony Albanese or Coalition leader Peter Dutton visited drought-affected farms during the campaign. "No one went and visited the farmers with no water in their dams, the ones suffering drought for 18 months and wondering what this cropping season will look like for them," he said. Meanwhile, former deputy prime minister Michael McCormack said there were already two drought-declared local government areas within his electorate of Riverina in southern NSW. "It is really worrying our farmers, all I got at pre-polls over the last two weeks was how dry it was," the Nationals MP said. "Our cattle and sheep cannot live on dust and nor can our farmers, and I hope that this incoming government acknowledges that we are potentially heading into drought. "But you look at much of regional NSW and Victoria in a long dry spell, and there is no regional funding." Dan Tehan, the federal member for Wannon in western Victoria, backed calls for urgent state funding and said the Coalition planned to assess the potential delivery of more water infrastructure for the long-term future of the regions if electd. "Our farmers need immediate relief and we have to look at using national water grid funding for the long-term water needs of our region," he said. He also said farmers needed to see action to address the outcomes of the recent reviews into the RIC and FDF drought hubs, "so these can be the effective tools we need, so we can invest, prepare, and properly manage for drought on-farm." In early April, the South Australian government announced a wide-ranging $55 million drought support package for South Australian farmers. It included measures like on-farm infrastructure grants, emergency service levy and vehicle registration rebates, investments in regional water standpipes, bulk water provision, pest culling programs to tackle grazing pressure, as well as several measures targeted at regional communities. However, things will likely get worse before better with the state's prolonged dry spell now setting unwanted records. BOM data reveals Tanunda, in the normally verdant Barossa Valley, has received just 266mm for the year to the end of April, a staggering 273mm below its long-term mean. The lowest rainfall recorded for the period in the 123 years of data collection at the local weather station is a story playing out across the state. Meanwhile, the Victorian government has announced a $13.5m drought package focusing on 12 local government areas in the south-west, but United Dairy Farmers of Victoria president Bernie Free called on it to ramp up drought support for desperate farmers in the May 20 state budget. The National Farmers Federation has also called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to "get boots on the ground" to witness what farmers were battling. "It's what farmers and drought-affected communities deserve," NFF president David Jochinke said. "Drought dries up more than land. It drains local economies, family budgets and wellbeing. It's not just farmers who feel it, it's entire rural and regional communities." The NFF said while Australia had "well-established drought policy frameworks" at the Commonwealth level, it is imperative they remain responsive to changing conditions and work in tandem with support packages at the state level. Meanwhile, farmers are well-known for initiative and Suzie Kenny, a farmer based in South Australia's Streaky Bay and wellness coach, has come up a #SaveOurSheep campaign. "We are well-prepared in this area for droughts but the fact this is happening for so long is very, very unusual," she said. "It does not look we will see a break in the next few weeks so it will be June at the earliest before there is any paddock feed." Ms Kenny said in 2024 the area recorded just 104mm for the year, a fraction of its 325mm average rainfall. Farm groups are intensifying calls for the incoming federal agriculture minister to make drought a number one priority as seasonal and operating conditions continue to deteriorate across multiple states. A growing number of farmers in parts of South Australia, Victoria, NSW and Tasmania are facing one of the worst droughts on record, with little relief predicted at least until the end of May. Regions across South Australia are already recording record low rainfall, while parts of Tasmania, western Victoria and south-west New South Wales are enduring tinder dry spells. Producers across the four states are increasingly being forced to ship in water, hay and grain, while southern livestock markets are being inundated with animals some can no longer afford to tend. Farm groups have been calling for greater drought support from state governments for two years to cover things like increased water, freight and other input costs and, increasingly, for federal intervention. Grain Producers SA chief executive Brad Perry said while the organisation has previously invited Agriculture Minister Julie Collins to visit drought-affected farmers in South Australia, "with her re-appointment, we are extending the invite once again". "We congratulate the minister on being back in the Ag portfolio and we need her to see the impact the drought is having on the South Australian grain industry firsthand," he said. "After the driest 16-month period in living memory in SA, our growers will need every bit of support to get through one of the toughest years we are likely to ever face." The Albanese government has set aside $67 million to the next phase of the Regional Drought Resilience Planning program, part of the $520 million Future Drought Fund and progressed work on a drought plan to support farmers through the cycle of preparing for, managing, and recovering from drought and signed the National Drought Agreement 2024 to 2029 with state and territory governments. However, producers remain asking what it can do to provide immediate relief? In a statement released following her reappointment on May 12, Ms Collins promised Australia's farmers and producers that "I will never stop listening and engaging with you" to "be a true representative for you in the Albanese Labor Government". "This is especially important now as some farmers and producers across the country face difficult circumstances, including drier conditions and recent weather events," she said. NSW Farmers president Xavier Martin echoed Mr Perry's call in asking that Ms Collins visit the most heavily-impacted dry areas across Australia. "Getting out into drought-affected regions and speaking with the farmers and communities living through these conditions should be the first order of business for our federal agriculture minister once our new government is formed," he said. "Farmers know how to manage risk and prepare for dry periods, but our federal government needs to see firsthand how the support of practical, long-term initiatives to grow farm businesses is essential to getting through these difficult times. "Farmers should not be feeling forgotten in this drought - nor should they have nowhere to turn to get the advice and tools they need to get through the reality of business in a tough landscape." Two sales in Victoria last week saw unusually high volumes go through the yards, in Leongatha with 4000 head and Yea, 3000, related to the ongoing dry with areas like Gippsland in Victoria, an area that usually provides feed and growth in abundance during autumn, currently lacking both. Victorian Farmers Federation president Brett Hosking also hopes Labor leaders will visit the state and offer meaningful support after neither Prime Minister Anthony Albanese or Coalition leader Peter Dutton visited drought-affected farms during the campaign. "No one went and visited the farmers with no water in their dams, the ones suffering drought for 18 months and wondering what this cropping season will look like for them," he said. Meanwhile, former deputy prime minister Michael McCormack said there were already two drought-declared local government areas within his electorate of Riverina in southern NSW. "It is really worrying our farmers, all I got at pre-polls over the last two weeks was how dry it was," the Nationals MP said. "Our cattle and sheep cannot live on dust and nor can our farmers, and I hope that this incoming government acknowledges that we are potentially heading into drought. "But you look at much of regional NSW and Victoria in a long dry spell, and there is no regional funding." Dan Tehan, the federal member for Wannon in western Victoria, backed calls for urgent state funding and said the Coalition planned to assess the potential delivery of more water infrastructure for the long-term future of the regions if electd. "Our farmers need immediate relief and we have to look at using national water grid funding for the long-term water needs of our region," he said. He also said farmers needed to see action to address the outcomes of the recent reviews into the RIC and FDF drought hubs, "so these can be the effective tools we need, so we can invest, prepare, and properly manage for drought on-farm." In early April, the South Australian government announced a wide-ranging $55 million drought support package for South Australian farmers. It included measures like on-farm infrastructure grants, emergency service levy and vehicle registration rebates, investments in regional water standpipes, bulk water provision, pest culling programs to tackle grazing pressure, as well as several measures targeted at regional communities. However, things will likely get worse before better with the state's prolonged dry spell now setting unwanted records. BOM data reveals Tanunda, in the normally verdant Barossa Valley, has received just 266mm for the year to the end of April, a staggering 273mm below its long-term mean. The lowest rainfall recorded for the period in the 123 years of data collection at the local weather station is a story playing out across the state. Meanwhile, the Victorian government has announced a $13.5m drought package focusing on 12 local government areas in the south-west, but United Dairy Farmers of Victoria president Bernie Free called on it to ramp up drought support for desperate farmers in the May 20 state budget. The National Farmers Federation has also called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to "get boots on the ground" to witness what farmers were battling. "It's what farmers and drought-affected communities deserve," NFF president David Jochinke said. "Drought dries up more than land. It drains local economies, family budgets and wellbeing. It's not just farmers who feel it, it's entire rural and regional communities." The NFF said while Australia had "well-established drought policy frameworks" at the Commonwealth level, it is imperative they remain responsive to changing conditions and work in tandem with support packages at the state level. Meanwhile, farmers are well-known for initiative and Suzie Kenny, a farmer based in South Australia's Streaky Bay and wellness coach, has come up a #SaveOurSheep campaign. "We are well-prepared in this area for droughts but the fact this is happening for so long is very, very unusual," she said. "It does not look we will see a break in the next few weeks so it will be June at the earliest before there is any paddock feed." Ms Kenny said in 2024 the area recorded just 104mm for the year, a fraction of its 325mm average rainfall. Farm groups are intensifying calls for the incoming federal agriculture minister to make drought a number one priority as seasonal and operating conditions continue to deteriorate across multiple states. A growing number of farmers in parts of South Australia, Victoria, NSW and Tasmania are facing one of the worst droughts on record, with little relief predicted at least until the end of May. Regions across South Australia are already recording record low rainfall, while parts of Tasmania, western Victoria and south-west New South Wales are enduring tinder dry spells. Producers across the four states are increasingly being forced to ship in water, hay and grain, while southern livestock markets are being inundated with animals some can no longer afford to tend. Farm groups have been calling for greater drought support from state governments for two years to cover things like increased water, freight and other input costs and, increasingly, for federal intervention. Grain Producers SA chief executive Brad Perry said while the organisation has previously invited Agriculture Minister Julie Collins to visit drought-affected farmers in South Australia, "with her re-appointment, we are extending the invite once again". "We congratulate the minister on being back in the Ag portfolio and we need her to see the impact the drought is having on the South Australian grain industry firsthand," he said. "After the driest 16-month period in living memory in SA, our growers will need every bit of support to get through one of the toughest years we are likely to ever face." The Albanese government has set aside $67 million to the next phase of the Regional Drought Resilience Planning program, part of the $520 million Future Drought Fund and progressed work on a drought plan to support farmers through the cycle of preparing for, managing, and recovering from drought and signed the National Drought Agreement 2024 to 2029 with state and territory governments. However, producers remain asking what it can do to provide immediate relief? In a statement released following her reappointment on May 12, Ms Collins promised Australia's farmers and producers that "I will never stop listening and engaging with you" to "be a true representative for you in the Albanese Labor Government". "This is especially important now as some farmers and producers across the country face difficult circumstances, including drier conditions and recent weather events," she said. NSW Farmers president Xavier Martin echoed Mr Perry's call in asking that Ms Collins visit the most heavily-impacted dry areas across Australia. "Getting out into drought-affected regions and speaking with the farmers and communities living through these conditions should be the first order of business for our federal agriculture minister once our new government is formed," he said. "Farmers know how to manage risk and prepare for dry periods, but our federal government needs to see firsthand how the support of practical, long-term initiatives to grow farm businesses is essential to getting through these difficult times. "Farmers should not be feeling forgotten in this drought - nor should they have nowhere to turn to get the advice and tools they need to get through the reality of business in a tough landscape." Two sales in Victoria last week saw unusually high volumes go through the yards, in Leongatha with 4000 head and Yea, 3000, related to the ongoing dry with areas like Gippsland in Victoria, an area that usually provides feed and growth in abundance during autumn, currently lacking both. Victorian Farmers Federation president Brett Hosking also hopes Labor leaders will visit the state and offer meaningful support after neither Prime Minister Anthony Albanese or Coalition leader Peter Dutton visited drought-affected farms during the campaign. "No one went and visited the farmers with no water in their dams, the ones suffering drought for 18 months and wondering what this cropping season will look like for them," he said. Meanwhile, former deputy prime minister Michael McCormack said there were already two drought-declared local government areas within his electorate of Riverina in southern NSW. "It is really worrying our farmers, all I got at pre-polls over the last two weeks was how dry it was," the Nationals MP said. "Our cattle and sheep cannot live on dust and nor can our farmers, and I hope that this incoming government acknowledges that we are potentially heading into drought. "But you look at much of regional NSW and Victoria in a long dry spell, and there is no regional funding." Dan Tehan, the federal member for Wannon in western Victoria, backed calls for urgent state funding and said the Coalition planned to assess the potential delivery of more water infrastructure for the long-term future of the regions if electd. "Our farmers need immediate relief and we have to look at using national water grid funding for the long-term water needs of our region," he said. He also said farmers needed to see action to address the outcomes of the recent reviews into the RIC and FDF drought hubs, "so these can be the effective tools we need, so we can invest, prepare, and properly manage for drought on-farm." In early April, the South Australian government announced a wide-ranging $55 million drought support package for South Australian farmers. It included measures like on-farm infrastructure grants, emergency service levy and vehicle registration rebates, investments in regional water standpipes, bulk water provision, pest culling programs to tackle grazing pressure, as well as several measures targeted at regional communities. However, things will likely get worse before better with the state's prolonged dry spell now setting unwanted records. BOM data reveals Tanunda, in the normally verdant Barossa Valley, has received just 266mm for the year to the end of April, a staggering 273mm below its long-term mean. The lowest rainfall recorded for the period in the 123 years of data collection at the local weather station is a story playing out across the state. Meanwhile, the Victorian government has announced a $13.5m drought package focusing on 12 local government areas in the south-west, but United Dairy Farmers of Victoria president Bernie Free called on it to ramp up drought support for desperate farmers in the May 20 state budget. The National Farmers Federation has also called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to "get boots on the ground" to witness what farmers were battling. "It's what farmers and drought-affected communities deserve," NFF president David Jochinke said. "Drought dries up more than land. It drains local economies, family budgets and wellbeing. It's not just farmers who feel it, it's entire rural and regional communities." The NFF said while Australia had "well-established drought policy frameworks" at the Commonwealth level, it is imperative they remain responsive to changing conditions and work in tandem with support packages at the state level. Meanwhile, farmers are well-known for initiative and Suzie Kenny, a farmer based in South Australia's Streaky Bay and wellness coach, has come up a #SaveOurSheep campaign. "We are well-prepared in this area for droughts but the fact this is happening for so long is very, very unusual," she said. "It does not look we will see a break in the next few weeks so it will be June at the earliest before there is any paddock feed." Ms Kenny said in 2024 the area recorded just 104mm for the year, a fraction of its 325mm average rainfall.
