News Item

P.M. hearing about Navigators

Wayne Austin wrote to the Prime Minster explaining how the drought has affected our Community in Navigators.

To Honourable John Howard

Dear Sir,

The residents of Navigators and surrounding district are a semi rural community in the Moorabool Shire if Victoria. This rural community lives on the outskirts of Ballarat which is always known for being cold or wet or 4 seasons in one day but this severe drought over the recent years is affecting the residents mentally as well as financially.

I would like to ask the government to intervene with a faster response of assisting the Shire in helping with drilling a Community bore.

I have written to our local councillor - Tom Sullivan informing him of the current situation and he’ll inform our Shire Council at the next meeting but because protocol needs to be followed time and water are running out fast.

The Community bore which is being requested will be used for domestic, livestock and fire fighting use. The district dams are 25% and depleting fast, most have dried up, we are primary producers trying to feed the nation but this won’t happen if the stock are dead at our feet.

My neighbours are responsible farmers, we all have reduced our stock numbers keeping our best breeders, fodder has been accessed from great distances, and all that’s required is a continuance water supply.

Selling our best breeders and receiving a pittance for them is extremely heart wrenching and then expecting to buy back into the market after the drought has broken with extremely high prices cuts into the farm budget.  I know that farm assistance financially is available, that doesn’t help everyone in the community, RIGHT NOW, TODAY, my community requires access to water.

The worries of fires are on our minds, having access to a Community bore producing volumes of water which will be pumped into large tanks activated by a float system.  The tanks are joined together which are connected to a low pressure high volume flood pump connected to a multi height water standpipe. It has been recommended that these pump to be electrical wired in a way so they can be powered by a portable generator in an emergency for fire trucks when there is no grid power available. This Community bore will be used for many years because when rains do eventuate this will take more than several years to return to some normality if ever.

This drought has made living difficult for everyone. We are a farming community, most of us have cattle and sheep, we produce these animals to feed the people in cities and to continue on water is required. 

The Navigators and district residents would appreciate assistance form our government in a speedy solution  

Regards

Wayne Austin

Primary Producer.

www.navigatorsvictoria.com

link - to read or leave your comments.