AUSTRALIA’S Governor-General, Quentin Bryce AM has received a first-hand lesson on how January’s flood event impacted the lives of resident.
Ms Bryce and her husband, Michael Bryce AM AE, visited farms in Benjeroop and Kerang East as part of her tour of the district on Tuesday.
The couple spent the afternoon travelling throughout the area, visiting two properties and community events at Benjeroop and Kerang.
The tour began at the family dairy farm of Benjeroop resident Steve Hawken, which was completely inundated during the flood.
Mr Hawken, along with his father Gary, friend Jacqui Challis, and his children Bodhi, Charlie and Amy, met with the Governor-General and told her about their experiences during the floods and the difficulties face in restoring the farm.
Mr Hawken is currently working at a dairy farm in Moama, where his dairy cows are adjusted while the slow process of recovering his farm continues.
He said he hoped the visit will keep the focus on farmers still struggling to recover from the destructive floods.
Mr Hawken said that there was a lack of financial aid from the government to help farmers recover and criticised the means testing requirements for accessing aid.
“Our biggest problem, as far as I can see, is lack of financial aid....DHS (Department of Human Services) have been really good, but a lot of their help is means tested for off-farm income,” he said.
“I explained to Ted Baillieu and Peter Walsh and a few others, that over the last nine years, most people have had to go off-farm to earn income to keep the mortgage on the farm paid,
“I think Ted will remember, if I ever broach the subject again, that I said it appears to me that some people weren’t lazy enough to qualify for government help.
“Given that that conversation took place just after Anzac Day, I think the diggers would be rolling over in their grave if they could see blokes having a go, working two or three jobs to keep the farm, couldn’t access help when a professional dole-bludger could.
“So a lot of people still need help.”
Ms Bryce spoke with the family for about half an hour, and heard about Bodhi’s Facebook page, which he set up to raise money for flood recovery, before presenting the children with a gift of a football and netball.
Ms Bryce then went to meet Benjeroop and Murrabit residents for afternoon tea at the Benjeroop Memorial Hall.
She was greeted at the hall by Benjeroop flood warden Lindsay Schultz and hall committee secretary Natalie Goudie.
The Governor-General was presented with a bouquet of flowers by Ms Goudie’s daughter, Lilliana, whilst Mr Schultz presented the guests with a framed picture of Benjeroop.
Ms Bryce spoke with several residents and was shown photographs and video news clips of the district taken during the floods.
Murrabit West dairy farmers Stuart and Rosemary Murray spoke with Ms Bryce and showed her photographs of their flood-stricken property.
Mrs Murray said she was pleased with Ms Bryce’s visit.
“I think it’s a great morale booster...she was very interested, we showed her photo’s of the flood and after the flood,” she said.
After leaving the Benjeroop Hall Ms Bryce travelled to Jill North’s beef cattle property, located east of Kerang on the Pyramid Creek.
Ms Bryce and her husband were greeted by Ms North and her son David, who told their visitors of how the floods affected the family farm.
Ms North had only moved back into her house a few days earlier, after having lived at her son’s Kerang house for months after the floods whilst her damaged house was repaired.
She showed the Governor General photos of her house, which was flooded with around 30 centimetres of water during the January floods.
She also introduced the Governor General to the latest addition to the family Noah, a kitten stranded by floodwater that was rescued by Ms North and her son.
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