Farmers who have been impacted by floods who wish to report the impact to their assets and business should call 1800 226 226. This can include stock lost in the flood, fencing lost or damaged, horticulture crops/trees lost.

AgVic asks that people do report damage as it helps with their response.  They also acknowledge that horticulture outcomes can be months down the track. 

What to do immediately after a flood- Department of Agriculture
https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/farm-management/emergency-management/floods/what-to-do-immediately-after-a-flood
 
Support for Victorian Primary Producers Impacted by Flooding
The Victorian Government has announced support for primary producers and businesses across Victoria affected by the devastating floods. A $73.5 million package will deliver grants to help farmers and business owners clean up their properties, while business mentoring, concessional loans and transport subsidies will help businesses get back on their feet.
 
Support for primary producers- UPDATED

The Victorian Primary Producer Flood Recovery Grant of up to $75,000 is available to support clean-up, relief and recovery efforts. This grant replaces the below $10,000 Primary Producer Flood Clean-Up and Relief Grants announced 21 October 2022.

The $19.5 million Primary Producer Flood Relief Program will deliver a one-off $10,000 payment – administered by Rural Finance – to primary producers directly affected by the floods to help them clean up, re-establish their properties, and get their businesses up and running again. The grants will cover activities like the removal and disposal of debris and injured or dead livestock, repairing essential equipment, fixing and replacing fencing, buying fodder, water and water storage, salvaging damaged crops, grain or feed, and hiring or purchasing materials to clean up a property or equipment.
 
Primary producers whose properties have been directly hit are also eligible for concessional loans of up to $250,000 to restore or replace damaged assets, and meet general expenses incurred while the clean-up is underway. Applications will open on Thursday, 20 October. For more information, visit www.ruralfinance.com.au
 
Support for businesses
Business owners will be supported through the $54 million Business Flood Relief Program. Directly impacted businesses will be eligible for a one-off payment of $5,000 to support clean-up, safety inspections, repairs, the hiring of equipment and purchase of stock that businesses need to get back in business as quickly as possible. The program will also support a dedicated Business Relief Service – with dedicated mentors to guide business owners through the available Commonwealth, state and local supports, manage insurance and landlord issues and build a strong recovery strategy.
 
Applications will open on Thursday, 20 October. For more information, visit Business Victoria or call the Business Victoria hotline on 132 215.
 
Support for mental health
In addition, the Victorian Government has announced a $4.4 million initial package that will support any extra mental healthcare flood-affected Victorians need. This includes $500,000 for specialist agriculture organisations, including the National Centre for Farmer Health, to provide dedicated mental health support to primary producers whose properties, livestock or crops were lost in the floods. Further information on this support is available in the Premier’s statement.

• Taking care of yourself
  Have you been taking care of yourself? During an emergency, people tend to exist in a survival state to get through the incident, using up considerable emotional reserves.  If you’ve been working hard for long periods, missing meals and sleep, take some time to take care of yourself. Recognise the signs of stress and reach out for support if you need it. For a comprehensive list of health support agencies, click here

• Has your horticultural produce been in contact with flood waters?
  • For advice and information about dealing with flood-impacted horticulture, visit the Agriculture website.
  • Further information is available on the Horticultural Industry Network website “Recovering from Extreme Events”.
  • Additional resources for flood-impacted growers are available at the Food Authority Fresh Produce Safety Centre website
• Fast Facts: Farmers Lung
  Moving mouldy hay, straw, grain and compost may trigger breathing issues. Take preventative action and look for signs of Farmers Lung with these Fast Facts by @FarmerHealth. More on lung health here: https://bit.ly/3AHa2OD

Chemical safety after floods
Landholders in flood affected areas may face a range of issues related to the storage and use of chemicals:

• Weed, pest and fungicide spraying may increase after floods. Follow the label and ensure you don’t use chemicals past their expiry date.
• Floodwaters may result in different pests or diseases to those you usually manage. To minimise risks please only use chemicals according to the label instructions.
• Comply with any “DO NOT” statements, including those relating to spraying near waterways or on saturated ground.
• Be cautious when using spraying equipment on flood affected areas as it may be less stable than normal.
• As large areas are saturated there may be an increased need for aerial spraying.
• If chemicals are contaminated or damaged due to flood waters dispose of them appropriately e.g. via subsidised programs like ChemClear or call 1800 008 182.

For more information on dealing with floods visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/floods

Translated Flood Factsheets
Please see below links for translated flood fact sheets from Agriculture Victoria. The material is in:

• Punjabi
• Farsi and
• Italian

 Downloads:

Agriculture Victoria Floods 2022 - Support for growers APPROVED

Floods - Support for growers in the Goulburn Valley- Ag Vic

General scams awareness
Protect yourself from scammers by being scam aware
Between January and August 2022, Australian farmers and agricultural businesses lost over $1.2 million to scammers. In total, Australians have lost over $300 million to scammers so far this year. It can be difficult to recover any losses suffered from a scam and so it is important to stop them before they happen. The ACCC operates Scamwatch, which aims to help Australian consumers and small businesses recognise scams and avoid them by providing information about how to report scams and where to get help if they’ve been scammed.

Tractor & Machinery scams
Over $1.03M has been lost to tractor and machinery scams so far this year. Scammers can create fake websites and use online platforms to ‘sell’ machinery. They often say they’ll hold payment during a free-trial period and promise full refunds if you are not satisfied.
Do extra checks before buying online. Report scams to Scamwatch.

Fake Invoice scams targeting Farmers
Australian farmers have lost over $320,000 to fake invoice scams so far this year. Scammers often impersonate businesses and request payment of “invoices”. These may look exactly like an invoice you are expecting. Report scams to Scamwatch.

Don't let scammers harvest your personal data
Scammers target more than just money – they have eyes on your personal information too. Protect yourself from identity theft:

• Use strong, unique passwords
• Be careful how much personal information you share and who you give it to
• Don’t send money or give copies of personal documents to anyone you don’t know or trust
• Check your bank transactions

If you think your identity has been stolen, contact IDCARE

You can read more about these scams and other common scams on the ACCC’s Scamwatch page. Scamwatch also provides guidance on protecting yourself from scams and where to get help.

The Australian summerfruit industry is looking forward to a strong export season to Vietnam, with market access reopening to the country for the first time since 2015.

Last month, a group of growers, exports and industry body representatives went on a "reverse trade mission" to both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, organised by Summerfruit Australia Limited (SAL) and Summerfruit Export Development Alliance (SEDA).

Read the rest of this Fresh Plaza article here..

Duty on labour hire providers and host employers to consult, cooperate and coordinate

From 22 March 2022, changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (OHS Act) extend the definitions of 'employer' and 'employee'. The changes ensure labour hire workers are considered employees of their host employer for the purposes of the OHS Act. From 22 March 2022, changes to the OHS Act also include a duty for labour hire providers and host employers to consult, cooperate and coordinate activities with each other where they share OHS Act duties to the same worker, so far as reasonably practicable.

Visit the Worksafe website to read more..

Induction Checklist: Who is responsible for training labour hire workers?
An induction is more than just explaining the company’s purpose and a guided tour of the building. Inductions and training help new employees understand how to best perform in their role, train them to use the company’s systems, and introduce them to their key colleagues.

Most importantly, inductions are a critical measure to ensure workers know how to carry out their role safely. Read more of this article here...

Make a commitment to workplace health and safety in October
Health and safety should be acknowledged every day of the year. However, National Health and Safety Month (recognised in October) gives employers a chance to commit to building better workplaces for their employees.

This year’s overarching theme is ‘Know safety, work safely’. This is especially relevant in industries that routinely use labour hire, where the nature of work can be more high risk. Read more of this article here...

Mandatory COVID-19 isolation periods scrapped from October 14, emergency response 'finished' says national cabinet

Rules forcing people to isolate for five days if they test positive to COVID-19 will end from October 14 for everyone, with support for some workers to be able to continue isolation if needed. ABC News