Kevin's Journal Highlights the Severe Impact of NSW Floods on Australian Farmers

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Content warning: This article includes distressing images of deceased livestock.

Kevin and Doug Schlenert, brothers who have spent their entire lives as dairy farmers, are upholding a family tradition that spans three generations.

Last week’s floods on the NSW mid-north coast wreaked havoc on their dairy operations, obliterating their facilities and claiming the lives of over 70% of their herd.

“Without my dairy, I’m at a loss. I’m unsure of my next steps at this point in time,” Kevin told SBS News on Sunday at his home in Glenthorne.

“I’m uncertain if recovery is possible for me.”

Kevin recounted how the water levels rose so rapidly that he was stranded in his house for 24 hours until a neighbor rescued him by boat.

“It surged quickly. Within half an hour, it reached my steps, and an hour and a half later, the water was at the windowsill.

“I was discovered floating on my mattress in the bedroom.

“My dog and cat stayed with me on the mattress. I had to escape through the window.”

He said one heifer floated into the house, while he sat on his floating mattress.

“One got into my bedroom. She was alive and swimming, and she wanted to climb on the mattress,” Kevin said.

What he saw when he returned shattered him.

“I found three [cattle] alive in my house and five dead ones inside the house. I have removed them and buried them,” Kevin said.

“It’s heartbreaking to see them because you reared them as babies, and you get attached to them.”

He said he found more dead cattle downriver and heard of more washed up on beaches.

A middle aged man, slightly larger set, wearing a greyish shirt, and dark navy pants, both splattered with mud. He is walking toward the camera through thick mud. Behind him is a part of an old rundown house, a scene of farmland and a couple of cows.

Doug Schlenert mentions that dairy farming is part of his identity and he is reluctant to abandon it. However, he acknowledges that recovery will be a prolonged and challenging process. Source: SBS News

Kevin’s story is one shared by many dairy farmers in the area.

His brother Doug, who shares the property and dairy with Kevin and also lost livestock, says the entire community is “drained”.

“There’s a few dairy farmers here that haven’t been hit bloody hard, they’ve been hit that hard it’s not funny,” Doug told SBS News on Wednesday.

“One family, they’ve lost a hundred head of cattle — and they were big freaking cows.

“The dairy industry up in the Manning is a big community. But [in] times like this we’ll struggle.”

During a visit to the area on Tuesday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited a dairy farm in West Taree.

Doug says he would have liked to have seen the Albanese visit more impacted farmers.

“He didn’t come anywhere near me. He didn’t show his face in Glenthorne.”

“I’d like to say to him, ‘I found 32 dead cows, prime minister, are you gonna replace them?'”

A close up shot of a dead black cow among branches and other flood debris.

Distressing scenes on beaches with dead cattle washing up along with huge amounts of debris washed out of flood zones. Source: SBS News

Kevin said cows are turning up alive, but it’s difficult to get them back to the pastures.

“We’re not equipped to go onto the beaches and find them,” he said.

“We don’t have horses, motorbikes to get them off the beaches, and there’s still cattle running loose on the streets.”

A beach strewn with debris including sticks, and bales of hay, with a tractor in the distance carrying a dead cow off the beach, the legs of the dead cow visible, rough and brown coloured waves crash into the shoreline.

Heavy machinery clearing dead cows and debris from Old Bar Beach on Friday. Source: SBS News

An outpouring of support

Since Kevin’s story was first shared this week, many have expressed sorrow and a desire to help.

Kevin and Doug said they’ve felt touched by the messages of support, but stressed their plight was shared across the region, by dairy farmers, feed producers, oyster growers, beekeepers, shops, and residents.

“If people want to help, they can help — we’ve just gotta get the dairy up and running. That’s going to be a real big task,” Doug said.

But both he and Kevin said they’re not sure if they’ll be able to come back from this.

“I think this has just pushed the boundaries too far.”

“I’ve been through the 2021 flood, and this year I think this is the fourth one I’ve been through, and I don’t know if I can come out of this on the other side of it.”

“It’s in our blood — my dad, his dad, and his dad. Three generations of dairy farmers,” Doug said.

A head on shot of a tractor carrying a dead black cow in its claw, with a man in a yellow shirt driving the vehicle on a beach.

The floods that tore through the Manning Valley left numerous cattle carcasses on the beaches. Efforts to remove them commenced on Friday, but more carcasses continue to wash ashore. Source: SBS News

He says they need a new vat and compressors to start up dairy production again, as their equipment was destroyed in the flood.

For now, they’re milking cows in a neighbour’s dairy.

Kevin says he’s received the one-off $1,000 payment made available for flood victims.

He says he’s also eligible for a $130,000 two-year interest-free loan from the government.

“Then I’d start paying it back over 12 years. That would be getting me close up to 70 years of age, I don’t know if I still want to be dairying then,” Kevin said.

Call for flood warning sirens

More than money, Kevin wants to see real and lasting change.

He wants flood warning sirens installed across the Manning River catchment, which is one of the biggest in NSW.

“Make sure the sirens are put on the river because you never know what Mother Nature is going to throw at us again,” Kevin said.

“If the river rises, they go off quicker than what the SES can get the text messages to us or any news crew get messages to us.”

“If the politicians don’t get off their bums and put the flood warning sirens in place, it’s not going to prevent another disaster like this.”

A view of a herd of black cows, including small calves, from behind, walking through muddy brown floodwater up to the underside of their bellies. One calf is seen up to its neck in water. The very tops of the fence line can be seen in the water, with trees in the distance.

Cattle being moved to higher ground on Oxley Island. Farmers there said contingency plans went out the window, and what they thought was higher ground wasn’t enough to save hundreds of cattle being swept away in floodwaters. Source: Supplied / Laura Polson

What help is available?

While in the region this week, Albanese acknowledged the particular challenge facing primary producers, including dairy farmers.

“We know there are major challenges, but what we’re about now is dealing with the immediate concerns of recovery and looking after people during this period,” Albanese said.

NSW Nationals leader Dugald Saunders said he’d like to see more meaningful support for farmers.

“We haven’t heard any indication of when a category C or D declaration might be made, which would unlock what we know is needed for primary producers and also for small businesses, which is grant funding,” Saunders said.

“Nobody can manage or wants another concession alone. That’s currently what’s on offer. Nobody can afford that. Nobody’s had insurance.

“If they’ve had a loan previously, they’re worried about paying that off. They need a helping hand in the form of a grant. They do not need another loan.”

Emergency Services Minister Kristy McBain on Wednesday said the federal government was “hoping to enact category C … shortly”.

A spokesperson for Dairy Australia said as well as financial support, the mental health of farmers is a growing concern, given the scale of the flood impacts.

“Dairy Australia’s regional teams are reaching out to flood-affected farmers with direct check-in calls to better understand the impact on their farms and well-being,” the spokesperson said.

“The locally led NSW Dairy Emergency Leadership Group is also providing practical support, prioritising immediate response needs such as assisting in allocating/sourcing fodder, generator support for those without power, milking machine techs, vet assistance, matching options for cow parking, mental health support, and communications to impacted farmers.”

Dairy Australia says some fundraisers have been set up for impacted farmers, but that the organisation does not endorse any specific charity or fundraising campaign.

“We do note that the NSW SES is leading the flood response, and Rural Aid has stepped in to provide practical support to farmers recovering from natural disasters. Both of these organisations accept donations,” the spokesperson said.

Fundraising

Hundreds of fundraisers have been set up for residents and businesses impacted by the NSW floods.

A spokesperson for GoFundMe says it has established a crisis team to oversee heightened fundraising activity.

“We also launched a dedicated hub of verified fundraisers to help Australians discover fundraisers for those impacted by the floods.”

“It is not uncommon for those with no direct connection to launch a fundraiser, out of kindness and goodwill. In these cases, all donations are safely held until GoFundMe are able to ensure that funds can be transferred safely to the intended beneficiary.

“If our specialists are unable to verify a connection, the fundraiser will be removed and donors refunded.”

Readers seeking crisis support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 and Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 (for young people aged up to 25).

Readers seeking support with mental health can contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. More information is available at beyondblue.org.au.