Help for drought affected farmers comes from our sister city

Local farmers and council staff joined a group of visitors from the Canterbury/Bankstown area last Wednesday for lunch. Among the visitors were: Amin El-Bureeny Human Appeal Australia (HAA) Community Care Manager, Gandhi Sindyan Community Liaison Officer with the NSW Police Force Campsie Local Area Command; Amer Yassine, Lakemba Travel Centre, a HAA sponsor; Omar Al-Jamal HAA Public Relations Officer; Abdnaser Ali, HAA Orphans Sponsorship and Community Development Manager (all to the left of the photo); with Riyad Qasim HAA Chairman at front and Cr Bilal El-Hayek from Canterbury\Bankstown Council (third from right).  Photo contributed

Another delivery of donated hay was to have arrived in Cobar last Wednesday however heavy rain interfered with its arrival.

Cobar Shire Council’s administration officer Brytt Moore, who has been helping coordinate the delivery of drought donations to Cobar, said Cobar was chosen as a recipient of the $45,000 worth of donated hay, because of Cobar Shire’s connections with their sister city Canterbury Bankstown Council.

“The day it was due to be handed out, we were lucky enough to receive some much needed rain, however this meant distribution of the hay was delayed,” Brytt explained.

“Cr Bilal El-Hayek from Canterbury Bankstown Council was one of a group of representatives who made the long drive out from Sydney to meet with our farmers, as well as members of Human Appeal Australia’s team and other sponsors.”

Brytt said the group joined some local farmers for lunch at the Cobar Bowling & Golf Club to discuss the drought situation in Cobar, and local landholder, Kevin ‘Rusty’ Mitchell also took the visitors on a tour of his property near Canbelego.

Brytt said, weather permitting, the hay is to be distributed to 15 local farmers today while another load will be distributed on Monday.