$1 Million in Stock Losses Due to NSW Fires
The bushfires raging across New South Wales has caused about $1 million damage to the state's stock. Although there are no lives lost or homes razed due to the blazes, NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell said about 10,000 sheep were lost in Yass shire alone.
Stock raisers and farmers as well as NSW residents from 37 communities affected by the ongoing fire would have access to natural disaster assistance, Mr O'Farrell and Prime Minister Julia Gillard said.
The assistance would come in different forms such as disaster relief grants for eligible individuals and families whose homes and household items were destroyed or damaged by the 135 ongoing bushfires and grants to councils to help them meet the extra cost of emergency work as the councils bring back essential services.
The communities eligible for assistance are: Albury, Berrigan, Blayney, Boorowa, Cabonne, Conargo, Coolamon, Cooma-Monaro, Cootamundra, Corowa, Cowra, Deniliquin, Forbes, Goulburn Mulwaree, Greater Hume, Gundagai, Harden, Jerilderie, Junee, Lachlan, Lockhart, Murray, Orange, Palerang, Parkes, Queanbeyan, Shoalhaven, Snowy River, Tumbarumba, Tumut, Upper Lachlan, Urana, Wagga Wagga, Wakool, Weddin, Yass Valley and Young.
As of Wednesday evening, of the 135 fires alight, 30 are uncontained, razing a total area of 345,000 hectares. The 30 uncontained are concentrated on a 44-kilometre perimeter at Dean's Gap near Nowra, a 16,000-hectare scrub fire near Yass and a 9,000-hectare blaze in the Kybeyan Valley, near Cooma.
The destruction of stock by bushfires is the latest calamity to hit Australia's livestock sector after Pakistan culled 25,000 Australian sheep exports and videos from Israel and Indonesian slaughterhouses confirmed reports that the animals are culled in inhumane and brutal manner.