Tibooburra hosts inaugural butchering and golf day for mental health

While the livestock are still there as they couldn't be fenced out, the golf course has been resurrected for the inaugural Tibooburra Butchering and Golf Fun Day.

With no signs of the drought abating, co-organiser Nic Stevenson said the event was planned because the region was in need of "a mental health day".

"Things have been tough out here, everyone is stuck in a rut feeding," Mr Stevenson said.

"We thought we could have a butchering day just for the guys, to give them a chance to talk, because girls are better at this stuff than the men when it comes to mental health.

"But then we decided it was something the whole region needed as the drought doesn't look like it's easing up anytime soon, so it gives us the chance to get our mind off it for the day."

In a normal year, Mr Stevenson said the region should record nine inches of rain. But in the last three years they have only recorded five inches of rain, with just over an inch recorded this year alone.

"At Easter some people had a little bit of winter rain and those that were feeding livestock were able to put sheep back into paddocks," he said.

"But if no big rain comes we are looking at a tough summer and we are already well and truly behind the average when we should have had 27 inches in the last three years not five to six.

"The winds will start up again soon, and if it's anything like last year where there was a dust storm every week, any feed on the ground will blow away."

In the meantime, Mr Stevenson said the community had rallied around the event to host a number of busy bees to clean up the course.

"It was a bit of a mess and looked like a paddock until last week but we have graded the fairways and tried to fence the animals out but we will just have to play around them," he said.

This week Mr Stevenson and Luke Kuerschner slaughtered two beasts to be used in the butchering classes.

"Most of us know how to butcher a beast but it's a chance for us to get together," he said.

"We really need this event, it's been good for the town because we are spreading the costs between all the businesses so everyone makes money out of it." They have 150 registered for the event that will be held on August 3, where they will take part in butchering classes and golf lessons by Broken Hill Golf Club.