When the big flood came in February 2022, we thought we were prepared. We'd dealt with major floods in 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2021 plus numerous other minor and moderate floods over the years.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
We have a system that has always worked well: typically we have stores of fodder; hay and silage made from our own crops, as well as pasture hay set aside. When a flood rises, we're usually isolated for about five days. Our flood-free paddocks total maybe 15 acres, sometimes more; never less. Once the flood waters recede, we progressively move our stock back onto their pasture and get on with life.
Recent years, however, have been different. Weather events, made worse by climate change, have led to long dry periods, followed by long wet periods. We've had repeated crop failures and at times we've been unable to even sow crops.
The 2022 floods (two majors within a few weeks of each other) were quite extraordinary in size and behavior. Our property flooded overnight. But as the waters receded this time, the rain kept coming; over and over. For months. Things just didn't dry out. We were lucky: we still had a home and beds we could sleep in.
But our animals had nowhere dry to seek respite from the mud. Even our flood-free paddocks weren't mud free. Everything was muddy. Pastures were ruined. As the rain went on, cattle went lame. We treated them but had to return them to wet paddocks.
We were forced to sell most of our cattle at whatever price the market was offering for flood-affected stock; we're price-takers in this industry. Some of our stored fodder was inundated even though it was stored on the flood-free ridge.
We just have passed the six-month anniversary of that major disaster; there's still just too much mud. We're still purchasing fodder to feed the handful of cattle we have left. We still can't get on to our paddocks to plant crops. If we can't plant a crop we'll have no ability to make fodder to safeguard us against future events.
And now we're facing a higher-than-not likelihood of a third La Nina event in a row, bringing with it even more rain and chance of flooding over spring and summer.
We need authorities to acknowledge that climate change is disrupting our livelihoods and the old ways of measuring "once in 100 year" floods aren't relevant any more.
There have been two inquiries into the floods that devastated our communities.
The upper house one didn't really acknowledge the reality I'm still living: that the changed climate is making wet weather wetter, and we need to take action to rapidly reduce emissions this decade.
The first mention of climate in the report is on page 62.
At the same time, we need real support to make our properties more resilient to the next flood or drought event that climate change brings.
READ MORE:
For us that means plans to gravel significant areas to protect them from future floods. Ironically we can't get that work done yet because the paddocks are simply too soft.
The report raises the prospect of abolishing Resilience NSW, but climate-driven disasters are not going anywhere.
If Resilience NSW is abolished, we need an alternative plan for coordination and resourcing of climate disaster preparedness and recovery.
Farmers are already doing so much to reduce emissions - changing animal feeds, planting shelterbelts, embracing renewable energy - but we need governments to act and support us.
Without action on climate change we are literally stuck in the mud.
- Peter Lake is a cattle grazier in Ulmarra, northern NSW and a member of Farmers for Climate Action.
