“I've seen this break the strongest men I know”: Local farmers on the emotional toll and destruction of the recent MNC floods

Macleay Valley farmer, Jack Henshaw, said the recent flood was the worst he’d experienced in almost 25 years.

Henshaw runs beef cattle operations in Clybucca and west of Kempsey and said his properties were "significantly impacted” by the recent flood event.

 “It’s the worst flood we've had since 2001 and the waters were considerably higher than 2001 for our localised area,” Henshaw told the Mid North Coaster.

The longtime farmer said the main focus now is on recovery. To move forward, farmers like himself will need support from state and federal governments in the form of grants.

“Cash flow for the next 12 months  to two years will be significantly impacted by the events with stock losses, weight losses…the damage of infrastructure is going to be huge,” Henshaw said.

“I think, for thousands of farmers in the Macleay Valley, if we can't get the additional help and support from the state and federal government, a lot of them will not be able to continue farming anymore – the financial impact would be too great.”

Henshaw lost about 150 round bales of silage valuing up to $18,000, and a “hatful” of calves.

“It's very tough on cattle after the event with the mud, especially for the little baby calves,” he said.

“It'd absolutely break your heart to drive down there… if you were a farmer or if you're not a farmer, to drive on the Lower Macleay, to see the sheer devastation is terrible,” he said.

“Absolutely heartbreaking – tear your heart out to see the cattle struggling. No farmer likes to see their cattle struggle and have the health effects that they're having.”

According to Henshaw, the infrastructure damage, in addition to animal welfare and stock loss for many, is becoming too much.

“The emotional toll does build up on you in the end. It doesn't matter how strong you are, I've seen this break the strongest men I know and women. It is terrible.”

Government financial assistance available

On Tuesday, Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, announced the activation of the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) – a one-off payment of $1,000 per eligible adult and $400 per eligible child.

The AGDRP is available for people in the Bellingen, Coffs Harbour, Dungog, Kempsey, Maitland, Mid Coast, Nambucca Valley, Port Macquarie-Hastings and Port Stephens Local Government Areas (LGAs). It is focused on helping those who have suffered major damage to their home, serious injury, or loss of a loved one as a result of severe weather.

Albanese also announced the Disaster Recovery Allowance (DRA) would be extended to more LGAS across the Hunter and Mid North Coast regions impacted by the floods.

These are: Armidale, Bellingen, Central Coast, Cessnock, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Muswellbrook, Nambucca Valley, Newcastle, Port Stephens, Singleton, Upper Hunter and Walcha. This is in addition to those who could already claim in the Dungog, Kempsey, Mid-Coast, and Port Macquarie-Hastings LGAs.

DRA supports people who’ve lost income as a direct result of the floods by providing up to 13 weeks of income support for workers and sole traders.

You can make a claim through MyGov and check your eligibility for AGDRP and DRA on the Services Australia website: servicesaustralia.gov.au/disastersupport

Severe weather becoming more intense

This month, the Climate Council warned natural disasters are occurring with increasing frequency and ferocity, fuelled by the consequences of pollution from coal, oil and gas.

As the climate heats up globally, the atmosphere holds more moisture, causing extreme downpours to become more common. The total amount of water vapour in the atmosphere reached a record value in 2024. 

Earlier this year, climate scientist David Karoly told the Mid North Coaster to address the increase in extreme rainfall, the country needs to transition to renewable energy and put a stop to Australia exporting coal and fossil gas, which contribute to higher emissions in other countries.

On Monday, Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese said that while not every weather event can be put down to climate change, floods and droughts in Australia are becoming “more frequent and more intense.”

“There's been communities that have been uprooted,” he said. “For some of them, it's not the first time, and we're reminded as well of the need to look at the impact and cost of climate change.”