Helen Litchfield is the epitome of a hardworking Australian farmer. She runs a mixed sheep and cattle farm with her husband (a third generation Litchfield), seven working dogs and three children. Their property, called South Wondallee, is located among the rolling hills of Nimmitabel where Helen has lived for 21 years.
Farming life is very diverse. The going gets tough however Helen considers herself very lucky to have the “space and freedom” of running a property.
“You know, I really just love being out in the open spaces. That’s basically it. I love it,” she said.
And while Helen also loves the sound and smell of rain, there certainly has not been much of it lately.
The devastating period of low rainfall has left farmers in dire conditions across the country with water storages down in every state. This does not exclude Eden-Monaro, where the hot and dry summer has left a hard-hitting drought in South-East New South Wales.
“It is sometimes not about how much it rains over the year but when it falls,” Helen said.
“If you get your rainfall at the right time, for here it would be spring and through the summer into autumn, then you probably don’t need your full rainfall - but if it all falls during the wintertime you can’t utilise it because you are not getting any growth through those months.”
While the government can’t make it rain they can help in plenty of other ways.
“Obviously climate change affects farmers first and foremost and we need to learn how to manage it, there’s no doubt about that, but we need to be able to afford it as well,” Helen said.
Before May 18, The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) called for a comprehensive ‘National Drought Policy’ in their proposed ‘Federal Election Priorities’ to manage climate change and financially help farmers and regional communities compensate during extremely dry periods of time.
In response, the Coalition government has committed to develop a Commonwealth Drought Strategy and provide $100 million per annum through a Drought Future Fund, which Labor and the Greens were committed to match, according to the NFF’s Commitment Tracker.
Labor’s Mike Kelly is on track to win the marginal seat of Eden-Monaro, which is not good news to Helen and drought-stricken farmers alike who have historically aligned with the Coalition.
“It was disappointing not to get rid of Mike Kelly, we don’t find him very genuine and don’t feel he has our best interest at heart,” Helen said.
“I think it’s going to be difficult for him as well, to be honest, because nationally it has gone to the Coalition, so he is kind of isolated.”
While Helen recognises the challenge of building a profile in a giant-sized division like Eden-Monaro, she is frustrated the Liberals’ Fiona Kotvojs did not have a “strong enough” presence and believes this worked against her campaign efforts.
“Nobody knew who she was, and she didn’t have a lot of time or resources at all. Hopefully next time around there is stronger support for her [Kotvojs] and The Nationals’ Sophie Wade.”
With Labor set to win, Helen would like to see a spotlight put on the major yet often overlooked issue of telecommunication in regional areas including Eden-Monaro.
According to the NFF’s Commitment Tracker, both the Coalition and Labor pledged to invest in a regional connectivity program, Mobile Black Spot Program and a digital tech hub prior to the May 18 election. Despite being flagged, Helen believes the telecommunication issue is still yet to receive the attention it deserves and hopes Kelly will address it accordingly.
“One of the biggest frustrations living on a rural property in Australia, and we are by no means remote at all, is the lack of communication services we have,” Helen said.
With no mobile services and satellite internet, she said it is very difficult to run a business “efficiently and smoothly” without modern-day technology.
“In our world you need to be connected and it’s pretty appalling to be honest.”
Opmerkingen