THE phenomenal response by the Bathurst community to the Hay2Help hay run is further proof of what a great community we live in.
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The hay run has been organised to support bushfire-affected farmers north of the city in areas around Cassilis, Coolah and Dunedoo.
It’s a practical response to a natural disaster, designed to provide a real solution to a very real problem.
The massive bushfires that tore through the regions burnt out more than 50,000 hectares of land in just a couple of days.
While landholders and bushfire fighters in the regions – with support from across the state – battled to save lives, property and livestock, they could do nothing to protect the hectares of feed and fencing that fuelled the flames.
So in the days immediately following the fire, farmers have been left with whatever stock they could save but nothing to feed them.
Many of the losses will be covered by insurance by the stock would be long dead waiting for the payouts to come through.
And, as it was put to the Western Advocate last week, even if rain started falling the day after the fires, it would take around six weeks for enough growth to appear to graze stock on.
Again, the stock would be long dead waiting.
So an immediate response of bales of hay taken straight to the firezone is the best solution Bathurst locals could offer right now – and they’ve answered the call spectacularly.
James Walton was the man making most of the initial phone calls to get the hay run started and even he has been (pleasantly) surprised by the reaction.
In less than a day transport operator Brett Cranston had offered his trucks to transport the hay and many of his drivers had volunteered to do the run outside of their work hours.
A drop-off point for hay had been organised and even though they initially didn’t want to be handling cash, public demand meant a bank account had to be established to receive donations.
It’s certainly not the first time Bathurst has reacted this way in a time of crisis, but each time it gladdens our heart to see the community in action.
And it’s the true spirit of Australian mateship in action – helping the mate you haven’t even met yet.