REWIRED, an appeal to directly help farming families impacted by North Queensland's devastating floods, has been launched in Kenilworth today.
Rewired instigator Stan Johnston, Craiglea Stud, Kenilworth, said people wanting to help hard hit landholders in North Queensland could participate by buying fence posts or barbed wire at a growing number of participating rural supply stores.
Mr Johnston said the Rewired appeal followed discussions with affected North Queensland landholders, who identified missing boundary fences as a priority problem.
"The floods have been absolutely devastating, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of cattle and the loss of tens of thousands of kilometres of fencing," Mr Johnston said.
"If we can help cattle producers get their boundary fences back in order, they will be in a better position to restock or take on agistment cattle - particularly cattle from the very big area than is still in drought."
The appeal is immediately working to restore 20km of missing boundary fences on Ron and Kylie Cook's Nelia property Channel Downs.
Every fence on the property was washed away in the fast moving water.
That first effort will require 2000 steel posts and 120 coils of barbed wire.
On Channel Downs 338 of 350 cattle perished leaving only 12 head alive. Those cattle had managed to scramble onto a loading ramp.
"The transport has also already been donated and organised," Mr Johnston said. "Now we need the posts and the barb wire so we can help affected families."
The Rewired appeal was launched at Kenilworth Rural Supplies this morning.
Contact Stan and Marilyn Johnston 0427 460 160 or craigleastud@bigpond.com or Kenilworth Rural Supplies 07 5472 3100 or info@kenilworthrural.com.au