Five years and counting: drought goes on south of Broken Hill

Kym Andrews, Avondale, said the drought had been unrelenting for them for the last five years, while most of the state had come out of the drought and enjoyed two years of good seasons.

"The rain just comes in small strips," he said.

"We might get 30mm in one month and then nothing for two months."

He was hoping the latest weather event hitting the state's west this week would bring some relief.

The drought, which still covers a large part of the lower Western Division, has shown little sign of letting go.

The Andrews, grazing in the west for generations, have partly destocked and agisted sheep and cattle during the drought.

Fortunately, some winter rain allowed them to bring their sheep back from agistment at Goodooga and near White Cliffs and they have just finished lamb marking at over 100 per cent, which was very pleasing.

They run Merinos at about three-quarters of normal sheep capacity.

"We are now in our fifth straight year of drought," Mr Andrews said.

Broken Hill's rainfall over the last five years has been 108mm in 2017, 96mm in 2018, 68mm in 2019, 174mm in 2020, and 117mm to the end of September this year.

Their biggest daily rainfall at Avondale since 2016, was 25.5mm in June this year.

Mr Andrews' family has kept rain records since 1888 and this has been one of the driest periods.

The Bureau of Meteorology rain forecasts recently had never been followed through, Mr Andrews said.

"Areas around White Cliffs, Ivanhoe and Wilcannia have had a great season, but not so in the lower Western Division.

"Broken Hill, Balranald and Wentworth have largely missed out on the rain."

Only strong wool prices had helped the Andrews through the difficult times on their 57,000 hectare property, which about 30km east of Broken Hill.

They had reduced cattle numbers to about 40 head.

"We've had about 130mm so far this year, but we get 20mm and then no follow-up, then we got 35mmm in June and 18mm in July, but then no rain in August to September.

"Our sheep are actually doing okay and we had over 100 per cent lamb marking recently. They did well at Goodooga on agistment.

"Some also went to White Cliffs where the season has been really good."

Also read: Rain lifts NSW restocker rates

Anywhere in about a 50km circumference around Broken Hill was doing it tough.

A large weather system was moving across NSW last Wednesday. "They are talking of 15-20mm, but we haven't seen anything yet. We need the north-west rain to drift down but that just hasn't been happening."

They actually only received 1.5mm to 4mm. Another let down. Meanwhile areas up near White Cliffs recorded big falls again of close to 90mm on some stations.

But heavy rainfall is predicted by the BOM for later this week from November 11. Fingers crossed yet again.

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