Melbourne Water donates more than 240 hay bales to support fire-affected farmers

Melbourne Water has delivered practical support to Victorian farmers recovering from recent bushfires, donating more than 240 hay bales to Lions Clubs Need for Feed Australia as part of its wider bushfire response.  

The bales were produced through Melbourne Water’s annual grass-cutting program, which manages vegetation across key drainage and waterway corridors. Each year, Melbourne Water maintains around 4155 hectares of grassed land across its waterways and catchment areas, the equivalent of more than 2000 MCGs. It’s all part of its work to reduce fire risk and manage vegetation across the state. This season, the program has been adapted to help communities affected by fire, with cut and baled grass collected for distribution to famers in need.  

Crews recently completed cutting, raking and baling across two sites in the Koo Wee Rup district. At Toomuc and Deep Creek, upstream and downstream of Ballarto Road in Cardinia, around 15 hectares were harvested, producing 135 bales. A further 14 hectares were cut along the Yallock Outfall between Koo Wee Rup-Longwarry Road and Number 5 Drain Road at Bayles, yielding 107 bales.  

Melbourne Water Executive General Manager, Service Delivery, Sue Jackman, said the initiative builds on Melbourne Water’s broader work supporting Victoria’s bushfire preparedness and recovery.  

“Our teams are out on the ground every day maintaining essential assets, and this is a smart way to turn that work into something that directly helps farmers who are doing it tough after the fires,” she said.  

Jackman said the donation complements Melbourne Water’s recent fire-prevention activities, including clearing and maintaining strategic firebreaks and deploying seasonal firefighters to support incident management teams across the state.   

“From strengthening containment lines to providing trained firefighters to protect our drinking water catchments, we play an active role in Victoria’s bushfire response. Donating these bales is another way we can stand alongside communities as they recover.”   

“By working with Need for Feed Australia, we know these bales will get to the farms where they can make an immediate difference.”  

Lions Clubs Need for Feed Australia has been supporting farmers and rural communities since 2006, providing fodder and essential supplies during natural disasters and times of hardship.  

Melbourne Water’s contribution will help bolster the organisation’s statewide relief efforts as fire-affected regions begin their recovery.  

The bales will now be transported and distributed by Lions volunteers to farms across fire-affected regions.

Media contact:
03 9679 7004
[email protected]