Victorian dairy farmer Fiona Rourke will receive a donation of a 22,500 liter tank and water today (November 25th) to help her recovery from the drought. This is thanks to Finish's #FinishWaterWaste initiative.
Almost half of Australia's farms are said to be served by the Victorian waterways of the Murray Darling Basin, including Ms. Rourke's property near Shepparton.
Finish, in partnership with Rural Aid and supported by Coles, supplies water tanks to Australian farmers. These tanks, which will be delivered over the next six months, will help catch more rain and help the families who receive them be better prepared for the next dry spell.
Ms. Rourke says the Millennium Drought and those that followed devastated our farmlands, our communities and our livelihoods.
“There is ongoing insecurity and pressure on water availability in our region, which says our livestock and our ability to care for our families are severely stressed.
“On behalf of my farming community, I would like to thank Finish, Rural Aid and Coles for supporting this much-needed initiative. I also encourage other rural Australians struggling through drought recovery to turn to Rural Aid for assistance. "
The #FinishWaterWaste initiative
#FinishWaterWaste is an initiative that arose from the realization that if they gave up pre-washing dishes before stacking them in the dishwasher, Australians could save up to 40 liters of water per load and a combined 20 billion liters of water in just one year.
Since launching the #FinishWaterWaste initiative in 2019, Finish has donated more than 14 million liters of water to drought-hit Australians as part of its ongoing partnership with Rural Aid.
Now in 2021, it will encourage the Aussies to make water security a priority to protect our farmers from future drought.
Oliver Tatlow, regional director of Reckitt Hygiene, says the Shepparton farming community has been under incredible strain in recent months, both from Victoria's water resources, which remain under pressure, and from the livelihood impact of the pandemic.
“That's why we're incredibly excited to be able to help our farmers in this region catch precious rainfall today and in the future, and give them, their families and their property water security,” he says.
"We made this possible thanks to our partners Rural Aid and Coles, and we look forward to continuing to supply critical water tanks to ensure our Victorian farmers are provided with the resources that will make them drought resilient in the future."
Coles' support
Cole's General Manager of Non-Food Jonathan Torr is excited to help #FinishWaterWaste align with the retailer's sustainability strategy focus areas, Together to Zero and Better Together.
"We know that there are farmers in parts of Australia who are still affected by drought," he says.
“At Coles, our ambition is to be Australia's most sustainable supermarket, and this initiative encourages Australians to save water while helping drought-hit communities.
"Together to Zero and Better Together underscores Coles' commitment to reducing its environmental footprint while recognizing that we can make a real difference by working together, especially for the communities in which we live and work."
