It has been well publicised that the current drought conditions are considered to be the worst on record, yet many of those farmers in the worst affected areas still have not seen any support from the drought relief packages.

Marlene Brewer is a farmer from Bingara NSW and is a prime example of a landholder living in these disastrous conditions. She has been a sheep and cattle farmer for 35 years – mostly on her own, running a 10,000 acre property 140km northwest of Tamworth and 50km west of Inverell.

Marlene has been forced to reduce her stock holdings by 60%, including selling off her breeding stock. With no ability to grow feed she has been forced to cut scrub to feed her remaining stock. When that is not an option, it is costing her up to $1000 per week to buy feed – when she can source it – as it is often simply not there to buy.

Marlene’s story came to light following her appeal on Facebook for a job offer, as she is being forced to leave her farm to earn an income so that she can keep her remaining stock alive and meet her financial commitments. Marlene was featured on the Alan Jones breakfast show in early August 2019.

Marlene’s story is not an isolated one. The daily struggles faced by other families in our neighbouring farming region, affects all members of the community and the mental toll often goes unnoticed.

Mark Mitchell, owner and director of Yamba Resorts Pty Ltd, owner and director of Angourie Resort and Spa and co-owner and manager of Blue Dolphin Holiday Resort, has approached Marlene to help with the operational management of the Farm to Coast Benefit Program that he is establishing.

The objective of the Farm to Coast Benefit Program (F2C) is to offer rural families in need, a short holiday in Yamba, staying at either the Angourie Resort and Spa or the Blue Dolphin Holiday Resort. It is hoped that this would give them some small respite against the mental and physical stresses caused by the current severe drought conditions.

Mark has offered Marlene a paid part time position to manage the staged giveaway of 70 resort holidays over a 52 week period, including the allocation of holidays to recipients and facilitating their uptake. Marlene will also manage the sponsorship program and actively source sponsors to participate, in conjunction with Mark Mitchell.

She will be working from both Yamba and Bingara locations. It is anticipated that this will enable Marlene to continue to manage her farm responsibilities and not force her to totally walk away.

Donated holidays

Angourie Resort and Blue Dolphin Holiday Resort have each donated 35 holidays (five nights) as part of the initial sponsorship for the program. Their sponsorship gives them co-naming rights and represents 70 holidays x $1250 equalling $87,500 plus other underwriting costs of $50,000.

This is the primary focus of the F2C Benefit Program to be given to families in need.

Sponsorship program

The donation of the holidays is only part of the resources needed to facilitate the program, there is also the need to secure additional benefits for the program recipients.

Some monetary sponsorship is required to cover the payment of Marlene’s wages and program administration, as well as direct product / service donations (eg fuel cards, meal vouchers, activities vouchers etc), which would be distributed to the holiday guests.

For more information or if you would like to participate in sponsorship of the Farm to Coast Benefit Program, please contact:

Mark Mitchell on 0417 615 583 or mark@malamit.com.au  or Marlene Brewer on 0429 499 958 or farm2coastbenefit@gmail.com