Rogers River farmers lose 200 cows in freak flash flood

However, thankfully, the rapid actions of the family meant they saved 400 of the herd by using a boat to swim the cattle to the safety of the cow shed. 

The Arthur River runs along one boundary of the family’s property that burst its banks in the early hours of Monday morning.

Family member Joann Morgan-French said the waters rose quickly around them and by 7am most of their farm was underwater.

“We were at the cowshed, we had some of the cattle in for milking, we had heard that it was going to flood in some areas so we were aware something could happen but we didn’t think it would be that much water coming straight down,” she said.

The family decided to move their herd to the highest point on their farm before the waters encroached over the farm.

“One minute it was in the paddock and the next it was over the yard, we quickly realised that the highest point of the paddock wasn’t going to be enough [to save the cattle],” Mrs Morgan-French said.

The family launched a boat from one of their access roads, that had already been inundated with water and cut the wires of their fences to reach the stranded cattle.

“Some of them were already isolated, it came up so fast we couldn’t reach them, the power of the water that was coming through, there was nothing we could do,” she said. The ones they did reach they swam back to the safety of the cowshed, where they waited in stomach-deep water for the peak of the floods to subside.

The family were thanking their lucky stars that they didn’t lose any more cows through exposure to the water.

Mrs Morgan-French said she had never seen floods like this ever on her property.

“We have had floods before, but we have never seen this before...we underestimated the amount of water that was going to come down,” she said.

She, her husband and their two children were forced to evacuate their house on the property the night before, because of the risk to flooding. In the light of day, Mrs Morgan-French said the farm “looked like a war-zone.”

“Parts of the farm were under more than six foot of water, we don’t have power because we use generators but they have all gone under,” she said.

Trees, fences, generators, tractors and motorbikes were all damaged during the inundation and the cowshed was filled with mud, sticks and debris from the water.

“Everything that has a motor in it will have to be repaired or replaced,” Mrs Morgan-French said.

The Duck River Dairies is a Murray Goulbourn milk supplier who have been hit hard in the past month due to dramatic cuts in the farmgate milk price.

Mrs Morgan-French said the floods would force them to dry off their remaining cattle either Wednesday or Thursday, instead of in the middle of the month, like they had intended.

She said emotionally and financially the family were doing it tough, as the dry season, the cuts in price and the floods took their toll.

However she said she wanted to thank those in the Circular Head community who had put up their hands to help.

“We’ve had people cooking for us, volunteering to clean, they are out there now cleaning up,” she said.

She said the family couldn’t thank the community enough.

“At the end of the day no human life was lost and that is the most important thing.”

Livestock saleyards at Quoiba and Powranna will become havens for displaced livestock who survived the recent flood events of the past two days.

Roberts livestock managers decided to open both saleyards after learning of the hundreds of animals who were lost and swept away by the flash flooding that struck across the North-West and North of the state on Monday.

Coordinator Ebony Bannister lives on the banks of the Mersey River at Union Bridge and said she decided she needed to do something to help the displaced livestock after seeing and learning of the large number of deaths that occurred during the flooding.

“In the past two days I’ve seen too many things that I wish I’d never seen, I have been isolated for the past two days and have only just got out now, I had to watch my neighbours lose all of their cattle, I know of friends at Latrobe who had to just watch as their dairy cattle were swept away,” she said.

About 20 head of cattle have already been delivered to Quoiba but Ms Bannister said she expected those numbers to increase as the waters receded in the next few days. 

Ms Bannister said while she understood the reason that people wanted to help, it was important they only did so if it was safe.

“If people find livestock, please don’t go in yourself, I know the feeling of wanting to swim in there and get them but the waters have done so much damage, it’s just not safe,” Ms Bannister said. “If you find any, please contact your local Roberts manager, the SES, or me, I can help coordinate to collect them.”

Spreyton Vet Clinic has also offered its services to assist animals who were suffering as a result of exposure to the flood waters. Ms Bannister said pneumonia posed a serious risk to livestock who had come into contact with floodwaters, particularly for cattle, who were susceptible to the condition.