With $1 billion now set aside to help our farmers, the scale of the challenge is finally being heard across the entire state. 

Part of the relief package is to provide farmers with $20,000 to help pay for the freight of feed from other areas so stock can be kept alive for just little bit longer. 

Already, quite close to home in the Southern Highlands, farmers are contemplating walking off the land because their cattle are so hungry they can be heard lowing in the night.

It’s difficult to imagine how hard it must be for families who have been on the land for several generations to be confronted with the prospect of stepping away from the only livelihood they have known. It’s even harder to comprehend how they deal with having to euthanise their animals because they have nothing to eat. 

One person who does know is Leeanne Oldfield, who owns farms in Goulburn and Wandandian. She has had to put stock down and knows how difficult that decision can be – not just for now but for when the rains eventually return.

Leeanne’s decision to launch the Nowra to Dubbo Drought Relief Drive is to be applauded. 

Evidence of how well it has resonated with locals lies in the fact that in its first three days it had raised $2000.

Her aim is to get 12 tonnes of feed to Dubbo, from where it will be distributed to places further afield. We encourage readers to check out her Facebook page, Nowra to Dubbo Drought Relief Drive, to learn more about the appeal and, where possible, to donate to it.

The Shoalhaven might be the richest region in NSW but it is certainly among the most generous. During our last drought, the very successful Helping Hands Across NSW initiative was born in the region, the brainchild of well known local man Juan Alvarez. 

Helping Hands got much needed assistance to farmers across the state during the long drought of the early 2000s. Mr Alvarez was named Shoalhaven Citizen of the Year for 2010, because of great work helping others in need.

So it is great to see the Shoalhaven stepping once again to lend a hand.