<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jan/12/a-new-fight-for-victorian-farmers-saving-livestock-that-survived-devastating-bushfires>
"After spending Friday and Saturday fighting the state’s devastating bushfires,
Victorian farmer Neil Tubb turned his Longwood property into a makeshift food
distribution centre for livestock that had survived the blaze.
On Monday, stacks of hay were piled around the dry, dusty farm. Spray-painted
signs show where generous locals can drop off or pick up supplies to take to
farmers in need. And inside a large shed, a row of women – including Tubb’s
daughter, Sarah – coordinate donations on spreadsheets, passing around a tray
of sliced watermelon.
“The adrenaline is still flowing for 95% of us,” says Tubb, 70, whose property
has been in his family for five generations. “If we were doing 16 hour days or
18 hour days at our normal work, we’d be legless by now.”
People across Victoria have been left reeling by bushfires which swept across
parts of the state, leaving one person dead, hundreds of homes and structures
lost, thousands of hectares burned and entire towns evacuated. On Monday, 12
large fires were still burning across the state.
But the fires have also killed thousands of animals. On Monday, the Victorian
Farmers Federation told the
ABC more than 15,000 livestock had died – and
that the number was expected to grow. Some animals that have survived have been
injured so badly they will need to be euthanised – others are now starving as
their food supplies have been burned.
Tubb – a Country Fire Authority volunteer who fought the black Saturday fires
in 2009, and the Ash Wednesday fires in 1983 – says he has no idea how many
animals in the Longwood area have died so far.
“Personally, I know a young bloke … who manages a very big property, not far
from here. I know he’s shot 900 sheep,” Tubb says.
“There is going to be some suffering, but you can just do your best and do it
as quick as you possibly can.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
