FORBES Platypi president Tracey Prior says her rugby club has been blown away by the support the wider Central West Rugby Union community has offered following the devastating floods – now a natural disaster – in the Lachlan Valley town.
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But it’s not her rugby club Prior is concerned about.
Earlier in the week Orange Emus president Donna Roberts said her club would set up a Go Fund Me page to help aid Forbes in their recovery from the flood.
In a statement on the club’s Facebook page, a grateful Prior says any and all support the community is offering should be afforded directly to the area’s farmers, many of whom have had predicted bumper crops wiped out thanks to the flooding of the Lachlan River.
“I’ve been talking to some our rugby club members who are farmers this week, many of whom have had their paddocks underwater for several weeks,” she said.
“It is quite soul destroying to see the natural assets of your business, on which you depend on for your livelihood and to support the rich wildlife of the this great countryside, being slowly suffocated under a blanket of brown water.”
Prior said the club was grateful for all the messages of support received from the rugby fraternity over the past week.
While her “beloved club and rugby fields” have endured an enormous amount of flood water, the forewarning of such an event meant most of the club’s resources were able to be moved upstairs at the Grinsted Oval clubhouse before the flood level peaked.
“In the big scheme of things we got off pretty lightly compared to the rest of our community and its normally beautiful surrounds,” she said.
Prior believes the wider Forbes shire will need a lending hand when the flood water eventuall recedes, with another peak predicted for Monday.
“It will take an incredible amount of time to bounce back from this, so please I implore you if you want to donate something please consider giving to Aussie Helpers and the Black Dog Institute, these are services our community will need now and in the future,” Prior said.
The Aussie Helpers website can be found at www.aussiehelpers.org.au and Black Dog Institute at www.blackdoginstitute.org.au.
“Most importantly look out for one another, talk to your neighbours and check they are ok,” she added.