The shire’s Australia Day celebrations will provide another opportunity to help farmers struggling with the drought that has no end in sight.
Sutherland Shire Council has chosen Rural Aid as the 2019 Charity Partner, with all funds raised over the weekend to be donated to country families in need.
Rotary Cronulla and Sutherland members will assist with collecting cash donations at both the Cronulla and Illawong venues.
Cash and eftpos donations will also be accepted at the Community First stall at Cronulla.
Any donation of $5 or more by EFT will result in the donor receiving a ticket, which will go into a draw for $500, with the winner announced at 8pm.
The 10 cents refunds the council receives from Return and Earn recycling bins will also go to Rural Aid.
Mayor Carmelo Pesce said, “We know our residents have big hearts and hope everyone will dig deep and support families in the country who are doing it tough in this horrible drought.”
Support for the Rural Aid charity flows on from a council donation of $47,500 in 2018, which paid for the transportation of five semi-trailer loads of hay to drought stricken areas.
Donations from individual shire residents topped up the council money..
Towns to benefit were Oberon in central western NSW, Denman (upper Hunter) Wingham (inland from Taree), Tooraweenah (north of Dubbo) and Broken Hill .
Oberon mayor Kathy Sajowitz and Sutherland mayor Carmelo Pesce welcomed the first load of hay, arranged through Rural Aid’s Buy a Bale program.
Cr Sajowitz said, “To the residents of Sutherland Shire, who have reached out, I can only say that on behalf of the Oberon community, thank you so much”.
“To donate a truck load of hay to a farmer in need hundreds of kilometres away has a huge positive impact,” she said.
“For the farmer this gift comes down to viability and the means to keep going…or not.”
