Rural Aid, Media Release, 21 October 2021
Finish is celebrating National Water Week (18 October – 22 October 2021) by donating much needed tanks and water to farmers in need.
The first water tank delivery took place today in Dalma, west of Rockhampton, where farmer Julie Sheehan welcomed both a 22,500L water tank and water delivery to her property.
Julie said: “This really does make a big difference. While there may be green grass growing above ground, for many properties the soil underneath is still very dry and challenging to grow crops or fodder for cattle. The drought of 2019 was terrible, but today access to water continues to be an issue for many people. Having a new tank to help secure water for when rain comes is a huge relief and a brilliant way to support farming communities into the future. I would like to extend a thank you, on behalf of all Central Queensland farming families, to Finish, Rural Aid and Coles for their support of this amazing initiative and I encourage rural Australians struggling through drought recovery to reach out to Rural Aid for help.”
Despite positive weather events and rainfall earlier this year that allowed a number of drought affected areas to start recuperating, local water supplies are still recovering and remain below the levels they need to sustain rural communities1. In Queensland, over 60% of the State remains in drought, with 34 LGAs experiencing water shortages2.
Finish, in partnership with Rural Aid and supported by Coles, will be delivering water tanks to Australian farmers in need over the next six months, to help ensure that any rain that falls now will be captured for future use to help farmers become more secure against drought. This effort is all part of #FinishWaterWaste, an initiative that came from the insight that by simply stopping the habit of pre-rinsing dishes before stacking them in the dishwasher, Australians could save up to 40 litres of water per load3 and collectively save 20 billion litres of water in just one year.
Since the start of the #FinishWaterWaste initiative in 2019, Finish has donated over 14 million litres of water to drought-affected Australians through its ongoing partnership with Rural Aid. Now in 2021, it will encourage Aussies to prioritise water security to help safeguard our farmers against future drought.To get involved, for every in-store purchase at Coles of Finish Quantum Ultimate Pro during September and up to 26 October, Finish will donate $1 towards water tanks for farmers in drought via Rural Aid^.
Rural Aid CEO, John Warlters, said: “Our farmers continue to experience the challenges of the ongoing drought, with many areas of Queensland not seeing the benefits of La Niña on their properties5. The simple act of donating tanks is a brilliant way to help ensure we capture this rare rainfall so our farmers can have more water security in the future.”
Large parts of the country have experienced good rain. However, drought is still very real for many farming families and rural communities – a plight which deserves attention this National Water Week.
Coles General Manager of Non-Food, Jonathan Torr, was pleased to support #FinishWaterWaste as it aligns with Coles’ Sustainability Strategy focus areas of Together to Zero and Better Together.
“We know that there are farmers in parts of Australia who remain affected by drought. At Coles, we have an ambition to be Australia’s most sustainable supermarket and this initiative encourages Australians to save water while at the same time supporting drought-affected communities. Together to Zero and Better Together highlights Coles’ ambition to reduce its environmental impact while acknowledging that when we work together, we can make a real difference, especially to the communities in which we live and work.”
Reckitt Hygiene Regional Director, Oliver Tatlow, said: “With much of the country continuing to endure the impacts of drought, we’re pleased we can continue to support our farmers. Delivering water is fantastic, but water is finite. Our ambition is that by delivering tanks, our farmers can capture precious rainfall over and over again, giving them, their families and properties a lifetime of water security.
“Through our partners Rural Aid and Coles, we’ve been able to make this possible, and we look forward to delivering more water tanks to help make a positive difference to Australian farmers and ensure they are provided with the resources to become drought secure in the future.”
For more information on the campaign and to see T&Cs, visit: finishwaterwaste.com.au.
1 Australian Bureau of Meteorology July 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2021 from http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/drought/
2 https://futurebeef.com.au/knowledge-centre/drought/
3 Brunton 2009. Results based on Australian testing of average water consumption 2.5 star 12-place setting dishwasher vs handwashing 106 people, Nov 2017.
4 Based on Finish research studies 2019; household average of 4 washes per week; ABS 2014, accessed August 2020.
5 https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2021-03-12/farmers-struggle-amid-la-nina-no-show-in-central-queensland/13214944
^ up to $302,500
