General News
12 June, 2023
Rain on PM parade - But downpour is a 'godsend' for some growers
The much anticipated visit by the Prime Minister was the highest profile casualty of this week's wet weather - but many Wimmera farmers have greeted the downpour. While Wednesday's VIP opening of the Horsham Nature and Waterplay Park was cancelled...
The much anticipated visit by the Prime Minister was the highest profile casualty of this week's wet weather - but many Wimmera farmers have greeted the downpour.
While Wednesday's VIP opening of the Horsham Nature and Waterplay Park was cancelled owing to Anthony Albanese's flight plans being grounded, landowners were welcoming the lift in their rain gauges.
As much as 45mm was dumped in some areas, boosting the spirits of growers - and the growth of their seedlings, which in drier areas were struggling.
Longtime Rupanyup agribusinessman Adrian Tyler, Nutrien key accountant manager, described the rain as a "godsend", arriving at a critical time to help along newly-sown and sometimes struggling crops.
"This rain will certainly put moisture into the profile and get everything going," he said.
"It's very timely. Some crops were beginning to struggle."
Mr Tyler said he believed most farmers east of Horsham in the Murtoa and Rupanyup areas had completed sowing. Some might still have some chickpeas to put in.
"Most farmers have finished cropping and the rain will wash in their pre-emergents and a lot have spread urea," he said.
The rain was especially pleasing as reports as weather forecasters had indicated a 70 per cent chance of another El Nino weather pattern developing, which would result in warmer, dryer weather.
"And there was a prediction for a drier June, but that doesn't seem to be happening," Mr Tyler said.
Freelance agriculturalist Martin Colbert of Nhill, who works with farmers in the Winiam-Kinimatakta area south of Nhill, said he would rate the start of the year as 10-out-of-10.
"And if it didn't rain now until September or we only received only 80 per cent of our 'normal' rain, that wouldn't be a problem," he said.
Mr Colbert said his soil moisture probe indicated that water movement was down to 70 centimetres, a pleasing depth.
"This rain has come at an opportune time," he said.
"The crops have emerged, there's easy penetration of roots and sufficient stored moisture and nitrogen in the soil."
Crops planted include canola, wheat, barley, vetch, oats for hay, faba beans and lentils.
"We've had four good years and this one is shaping up to be excellent," he said.
He also studied weather algorithms, and said he remained sceptical about predictions of another El Nino year.
J.J. O'Connor and Son's Horsham branch manager Heath Martin said he was pleased for farmers.
"This rain has come at an ideal time," he said.
"It should match up with the sub-soil moisture and get crops off to a good start."
Farmer inquiries continued for both new and secondhand equipment including for tractors and combines. Availability of some parts remained an issue, slowing production.
O'Connors, which sells Case IH equipment, has its headquarters in Horsham. The firm employs 300 in 16 branches from Central NSW to Bordertown, Ballarat to Mildura.
The PM was due to be the star attraction at Wednesday morning's official opening of the Wimmera Riverfront Activation Project and the Horsham Nature and Waterplay Park - projects which themselves had fallen foul of weather delays.
The opening of the park was delayed for several months due to a number of factors, including flooding in October last year, and lack of accommodation available for contractors to finish the project.
But it was the funding issue which raised the ire of federal Member for Mallee Anne Webster, who dealt a political sideswipe at Mr Albanese days ahead of his no-show, accusing him of taking credit for a Coalition-funded project.
In a press release headed "Albanese swans in to claim the credit," Dr Webster accused him of "cutting the ribbon on the Coalition’s investment in the Horsham community.”
The Nationals MP – who had been included on the guest list for the event – said the PM wanted to visit Horsham "in a bid to show the federal Labor government is investing in Regional Australia".
"The Horsham Riverfront project was funded with $1.65 million from the former Coalition government along with $850,000 from Horsham Rural City Council and a $500,000 grant from the Victorian Government – with not a cent being committed by federal Labor," she said.
“It is fantastic to see the Prime Minister step outside the city limits, even if it is to claim credit for a project his government had nothing to do with.”
The Riverfront Activation Project cost $3.1 million. The Nature and Water Play Park was completed for $2.45 million.
Horsham Mayor Robyn Gulline declined to be drawn into the political stoush about funding.
"It is still federal government funding so it doesn't matter which side, it is still public money issued by the federal government," she said.
"It kept getting pushed back for a whole range of reasons but it's finally open now,
"I was down there on Saturday and some people were dribbling in and checking it out. It really is a terrific space," Cr Gulline told ABC Wimmera.
"Hopefully next time we can put on a beautiful sunny Wimmera day."
The Riverfront Activation Project is stage one of a 20-year city to river masterplan which aims to enhance and link central Horsham with the Wimmera River precinct.