Communities receiving temporary counselling services over the school holidays say the initiative is welcome, but that more needs to be done to address mental health issues arising due to the drought.
Centacare posted psychologists to Pilliga and Wee Waa last week as part of an outreach program attempting to take counselling services to more isolated areas.
Pilliga resident and NSW Chair of the Community Technology Centres Association, Gary Wooldridge, believes psychologists and counsellors should be based permanently in these areas.
“I think there should be someone here full time going to properties, we have Peter and June Ridley from the Salvos doing a fantastic job visiting people on the farm who are experiencing mental health issues, but it needs to be looked at out here, the stress is getting bad,” he said.
“Contractors and local businesses, they need support too, we need to have the counsellors here because it takes the pressure off me, I hear from a lot of farmers that aren’t coping.”
Centacare New England North West spokeswoman Amelia Saban hopes outreach counselling in Pilliga and Wee Waa can become an ongoing, permanent service.
“Ideally we would have people based in these areas permanently, but we just have to look at resources and availability, keeping in mind that Centacare NENW covers nine Local Government Areas,” she said.
“We do currently have iPad and phone counselling available, so as long as you can get to a phone line or an internet connect you can talk to someone.
“Part of the federal funding agreement allowing us to do these trial outreach programs is to offer counselling in person to people on farm.
“The funding is due to end in June but I will be pushing for it to continue, even if it rained in the next three weeks, the issues are ongoing.”
Pilliga wheat and cattle farmer Steve Cross believes the local community is providing a good support network for those who may be struggling.
“We have a very supportive community, people stick together and we have people we can talk to,” he said.
“I know counsellors are a good thing but there’s nothing like having a good friend to talk to.”
Residents in western drought affected communities are becoming increasingly concerned over the long term repercussions of dry periods, which seem to be occuring with increasing frequency.
Horse stud owner and cattle farmer Judy Field says people are leaving the area permanently as a result of the conditions.
“It has been pretty disastrous in this area for the last three years, but this is an ongoing issue, these seasons started in 2002 and have been going on a varying intervals ever since,” she explained.
“You might get one good year and then three marginal years and then a couple of years of drought, you can’t depend on having a stable income.
“Farmers, especially the men, are pretty tough characters but it’s pretty stressful watching your animals suffer or have to be put down or sold.
“We’ve completely destocked and our son has sold out and gone to another area where the rainfall is better and I think a lot of the young people are looking very sceptically at continuing on in this area.
“Young people are either going to pursue some other kind of rural interest, like agronomy, and they’re not going to want to own a farm.”