Grain at Murtoa, Vic. Image courtesy of GrainCorp
Farmers across the country have opted for their surplus grain to be turned into a generous donation for Victoria’s volunteer firefighters.
A cheque for more than $100,000 dollars was sent to CFA from Australian agribusiness GrainCorp, with the organisation saying the funds came from local producers.
“Grain is sent to us by truck, but those vehicles can sometimes be overloaded which isn’t safe,” said Kieran Gardner, GrainCorp’s Road Compliance Manager.
“To help prevent overloading, we had a program where additional grain from trucks that have exceeded their limits is sold, and the funds from that are donated to charities or appropriate organisations.
“We had a big harvest last year and we’re getting ready for another this season which is great following on from a few years of drought.”
Mr Gardner said it was the growers who opted to donate to CFA, with GrainCorp facilitating on their behalf.
“CFA has a huge presence within farming communities, and harvester fires are a big risk every summer."
The money will go into CFA’s Public Fund and will go towards the building the capabilities of CFA volunteers.
CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan welcomed the generous donation, and said the timing couldn’t be any more appropriate with harvest season about to start in Victoria.
“Harvest time can be very dangerous and each season unfortunately we see machinery and vehicles spark fires in different parts of the state,” he said.
“This donation is a timely reminder to ensure you consistently clean and maintain machinery, take regular breaks when operating machinery to ensure it doesn’t get too hot, and postpone any activities such as harvesting, grinding, welding, slashing or mowing during hot and dry conditions.