Eastern Line Shipping has stepped in and offered Need for Feed Australia the charter of their vessel, the King Islander – at cost – to shift all 700 tonnes of hay and cattle pellets from the mainland to King Island in one sailing.
“Warren Dick very generously and at great expense, is bringing the boat empty to Port Welshpool so that we have the best chance of getting all of our precious cargo to King Island in a timely manner,” NFFA said.
“Not only that, we have a loading and sailing date for Saturday, May 18 locked in with both Gippsland Ports at Port Welshpool and TasPorts at Grassy on King Island.
They will be arriving at King Island on Sunday just before dawn and then it will be up to our local team to go into full swing to get it all u n l o a d e d and off to our recipients.
“After all of the hurdles we’ve had to jump through, we are all so excited that this is finally happening.”
Due to lost time in sourcing another port following the Colac Otway Shire pulling the pin on the use of the port of Apollo Bay last week, NFFA needed to secure a ship capable of handling Bass Strait with access to Port Welshpool and find suitable sailing dates.
The result was that the shipping of the urgently needed feed for King Island livestock was postponed. The 500 tonnes or 770 bales of oaten hay sourced from across the country, and 200 tonnes of cattle pellets in 1-tonne bulka bags are now, according to NFFA, all going on one boat in one trip and not multiple sailings.
This is not the first time Eastern Shipping Line owner Warren Dick has stepped in to help with King Island shipping matters. ESL has been working seven days a week to emergency de-stock cattle from King and Flinders Island.
In 2020 Eastern Shipping Lines shipped 700 rolls of hay and silage from King Island to assist farmers in the East Gippsland and Cobargo fire areas.
NFFA organisers are frustrated and angered by “politicising and credit grabbing” of the volunteer organisation’s endeavours.
NFFA expressed their displeasure at the difficulties they have faced trying to get the urgently volunteer sourced, donated and trucked feed to King Island.
They were also critical of the Tasmanian Government claiming credit for securing the feed.
“It would be nice to think that supporting what we are trying to do for the farmers on King Island would amount to dollars of support, not just words,” the organisation said.
“After all if some of our bills were taken care of we could help more people.”
Colac Otway Shire said they empathised and said they supported the drought-stricken King Island farmers.
“That support amounted to referring us to the Tasmanian Government,” NFFA said.
“Premier Jeremy Rockliff and Primary Industries and Water Minister Jane Howlett released a media statement on Sunday headlined ‘Feed secured for King Island’ announcing that the feed would be coming from Port Welshpool, congratulating all the hardworking people involved in the solution ‘which will bring the fodder to King Island’.
“We acknowledge that the Tasmanian Government has gone into bat for us and thank them but from their statement on Sunday you could be excused from reading that headline that they might be paying our freight bill.
“Not sure that’s happening but let’s hope they are,” the organisation said.
This week NFFA requested talks with Federal, Victorian and Tasmanian Governments to see how they can help with the extra costs from not being able to use the port at Apollo Bay.
“We need a bit more than waiving wharfage fees. Our freight costs could now be as high as $220,000 for the extra distance by road and by sea [and shipping freight or charter costs].
“That’s money that we don’t have unless someone comes to the rescue,” they said.
Need for Feed started as an initiative by Graham Cockerell and the Pakenham Lions Club in Victoria. It is managed by volunteers and two years ago was adopted as a national Project of Lions Australia.
Since December 2006, Graham and his team have been raising funds for fire, drought and flood relief and providing emergency fodder and transport to Australian farmers.
All donations go to assist those affected. King Island rallied in 2020 and sent about 700 rolls of hay and silage plus a $10,000 donation to assist East Gippsland and Cobargo fire areas.
It has been estimated that volunteer drivers and their rigs will move 35 truckloads of the donated hay from Swan Hill in Victoria to the port.
The volunteers, mainland farmers, drivers and their rigs travelling from South Australia, NSW and Victoria to depots have been working around the clock, including weekends and the Anzac Day public holiday to assist King Island.
Getting hay to King Island to assist the island’s farmers has involved volunteer contributions of many types, hay donations, labour, trucking, logistics and NRE support to organise the BioSecurity Tas permits required.