State Government refuses freight subsidy for Gascoyne farmers, pastoralists in desperate need of hay supplies

Gascoyne farmers still facing drought are in desperate need of hay, yet a lack of funding and exorbitant fuel prices are stopping precious feed from arriving to their gates.

Farmers Across Borders, a volunteer-run charity delivering donated hay to farmers in need, has plenty of hay to go round, yet no money to transport it.

The organisation first received a call for help from pastoralists in the Gascoyne region last October and has been supplying those in need since mid-January.

Farmers Across Borders president Sam Starcevich said since January the charity had sent 27 road trains and a couple of “triples” filled with feed for Gascoyne farmers doing it tough.

However, the charity has officially run out of funds leaving them with plenty of hay and no way to deliver it to those calling for help.

Ms Starcevich said the charity usually relied on donated funds from the general public but with Gascoyne pastoralists urgently needing hay, there needed to be State Government support.

“What we have been asking the State Government for is a freight subsidy in WA to recognise drought and to help those in need during those times,” she said.

“The government has pretty much said no. There is nothing forthcoming but to have a State Government say no to such a huge industry is crazy.”

Ms Starcevich said with the farming industry being so big in WA, it was hard to believe other States provided a freight subsidy and WA did not.

The State Government had originally provided one round of funding which was quickly used with no confirmation of being continued, Ms Starcevich said.

Shane Love, Nationals WA leader and Mid-West MLA, said the government and its minister only seemed to care about animal welfare when it suited their agenda and earned them political points in the city.

“Out here, pastoralists aren’t interested in politics — they just want to see their cattle happy and eating tucker,” he said.

“When thousands of bales of donated feed are sitting there ready to go, but the Government won’t help get it on a truck, which says everything about their priorities.”

With Farmers Across Borders being volunteer run with donated hay, the charity only needed money to cover fuel costs.

Farmers who received hay from the charity had reportedly already used the supplied stocks, with many offering to pay themselves for Farmers Across Borders to deliver much-needed feed.

Ms Starcevich said the charity was not asking for millions of dollars, only enough for what they needed to transport hay to the Mid West and back — an exercise which should not be up to the farmers doing it tough to fund.

She also said now that fuel prices had significantly increased due to conflict in the Middle East, it gave the government more reason to not provide funding through a freight subsidy.

“It’s extremely frustrating because if we had funding prior and the support before, we probably could have had more feed up there now,” she said.

“Right now, we just need to put pressure on the government. Or if there are any big businesses who want to sponsor a bloody good cause then that would be amazing.”

Ms Starcevich said the charity would continue to advocate for the freight subsidy so Gascoyne farmers could receive the deliveries they needed and deserved.

Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis has been contacted for comment.