Heavy Rain Floods Gippsland Dairy Farms as Grain Crops Benefit

Rain continued across central and eastern Victoria after storms brought down trees, interrupted electricity supplies, damaged buildings and prompted six rescues. The State Emergency Service received about 200 requests for assistance from midday the previous day, according to state duty officer Shane McBride.

Mr McBride described the preceding 24 hours as “very hectic” and said the number of flood rescues was particularly concerning. He warned that flash flooding could develop rapidly and advised people to avoid driving through floodwater. Powercor reported that 3,000 customers in the Heathcote area lost power during storms overnight.

In Gippsland, dairy farmer Nicole Saunders said her Maffra property was already flooded, with further rain expected. More than 100 millimetres was forecast in parts of Gippsland by the following day. Ms Saunders, who milks 600 cows and also operates a strawberry farm, spent much of the day moving livestock to higher ground and closed her Berry Dairy business for several days.

She said the ground was saturated after three days of rain and that Sunday could bring the highest flooding. Ms Saunders referred to floods in October 2023, saying water had moved across the flood plain in unexpected ways, including through areas where it cascaded across the land.

Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Ursula Connor said a slow-moving low-pressure system was expected to move east, while showers and thunderstorms continued over central and eastern Victoria. She said a persistent, gusty south-easterly flow would bring moisture into southern parts of the state, with heavy and locally intense rain possible from the early hours of the following day, particularly around the Otways and the Strzelecki Ranges.

In the Wimmera, the same period of rain was welcomed by grain producers. Murtoa farmer John Delahunty said rainfall had arrived at suitable points during the season and that crops were beginning to fill. Agriculture consultant Martin Colbert said the rain was the season’s second-most important event after the opening autumn rains. He said crops had the potential for record yields and needed a final rainfall to support grain fill; legumes and oilseeds were podding, while cereals were flowering or filling.