AFTER hearing of the loss suffered by friends in Lismore, New South Wales, due to recent flooding, Kerang’s Brett and Karen Radcliffe decided they needed to help.
So on Saturday afternoon, two trucks were loaded with lucerne hay donated by the Radcliffes to mates who had roughly 80 per cent of their income washed away with the flood. The second load is headed to a dairy farmer who could only find 170 of his 350,000 cows.
Both Mr and Mrs Radcliffe said they are devastated at the damage the flooding up north has caused.
“Because we went through the flood (here) in 2011, we know what it’s like,” Mr Radcliffe said.
“So just knowing what we went through, and you don’t look out of home often enough, you don’t appreciate what you’ve got, so why not help someone else out.”
Water levels in Lismore peaked at a record 14.37 metres high, with homes, schools, and business swept away, thousands of people left homeless, and four people confirmed to have died so far.
Mrs Radcliffe says she becomes emotional thinking of how their donation might make even a small difference.
“Wherever there is a crisis somewhere else there’s probably a good season somewhere else, so while we’ve got the good season we can help someone else,” Mrs Radcliffe said.
“It’s not about us.”
A load of oat seed will also be donated by the Radcliffes in the coming week so that as soon as it is dry enough, people will be able to start replanting their crops before it gets too late in the season.
“We don’t donate enough of our own time or finances or whatever – you’re too busy doing other stuff – so if we can deliver a bit of hay just to help someone else out, yeah we will,” Mr Radcliffe said.
To keep up to date with their hay run, you can follow the Radcliffes’ Facebook page, Tyisha Pastoral Co.
