A husband and wife will take a day off from being pub owners to drive more than 30 bales of hay to drought-affected farmers in central western Queensland.
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Barbara Konstantakis, who owns The Red Steer, decided to get her trucking licence after going on two hay runs with her husband and witnessing how desperate the drought had become.
“Listening to the farmers and their stories when we got up there, some of them have got parents who have taken their own lives because of the drought,” Ms Konstantakis said.
“The reaction from the people along the stations there, the gratitude they showed on the side of the road with their flags and their banners – it was rewarding but heart-wrenching.”
Ms Konstantakis and her husband Shane Bourke said their hay run wouldn’t be possible without the support of the community – particularly Hartwigs, which donated the truck, Ron Crouch Transport, which donated the trailer, and Fareys Transport, which donated $1000 worth of fuel.
General manager of Ron Crouch Transport Peter Braneley said the situation in central western Queensland was devastating.
”You've got farmers sitting side by side with cattle laying on the ground that can't get up and having to get rid of them for want of a better word,” Mr Braneley said.
“It's a very proud history of farmers in Australia, so they won't ask for help – it's just not in their psyche.
“But we just want to do what we can to help these guys out, because, at the end of the day, they’re the lifeblood of Australia.”
Andrew Delaney of Hartwigs said the drought, which has now gone on for 10 years, has harmed much more than the farmer’s income.
“It’s the mental health side of things too, which is a big issue in rural Australia at the moment, and to be able to drop a bit of hay might be just giving a little bit, but it means a lot to people,” Mr Delaney said.
“If you’re farming in NSW, your neighbour is only two to three kilometres away, but if you’re farming in central western Queensland, your closest neighbour might be 200 kilometres away.”
Barbara and Shane will hit the road early on Friday morning and are due to return to Wagga a couple of days later.