Rural Aid, Media Release, 22 August 2023

Australia’s most trusted rural charity has experienced a drastic increase in the number of drinking water requests from Australian farmers.

Rural Aid has been delivering water tank refills to registered primary producing families for a number of years.

In the past year, drinking water requests have increased by 250 per cent.

Rural Aid CEO John Warlters said dry times have hit early and hit hard.

“Farmers around the country have been unsettled by how quickly the rain ‘tap’ has been turned off,” Mr Warlters said.

“In June last year, Rural Aid received 6 requests for a water tank refill. In June this year, Rural Aid received 21 requests for a water tank refill.”

“It’s a huge increase and shows that the pain of low rainfall is already being felt in the bush.”

“Rural Aid believes no Australian farmer should live without access to clean drinking water,” Mr Warlters said.

In addition to paying for water carters to deliver fresh drinking water to farmers, Rural Aid also runs a tank delivery program.

In the past year alone, Rural Aid has delivered 163 water tanks to primary producing households across Australia. 

 Victorian dairy farmer Mark Laity said the water tank he received from Rural Aid was a huge boost. 

In the past five years, he’s faced severe drought, life-threatening bushfires and floods on his East Gippsland property.  

Mark and his family ran out of drinking water in the drought.  

“There was no water left here at all, not even a drop in any of the dams, they were all bone dry. The creek stopped running; the whole lot,” Mark said.  

He thanked Rural Aid for his tank, which provided much needed water security.  

“You didn’t realise how much you relied on it [water] and how much you actually did go through.” 

As the annual World Water Week (20-24 August) takes place, Rural Aid is asking for the public’s help to top up the tanks.  

“It’s our aim to deliver 500 full water tanks to Australian farmers and rural communities before 2025 to equip them for survival during future disaster events,” Mr Warlters said.  

“Rural Aid is calling for Water Heroes in these dry times,” Mr Warlters finished.  

For more information on Rural Aid’s Water Hero campaign, visit https://waterhero.ruralaid.org.au/