Herald Sun 28 April, 2007

JUBILANT Victorians got their first taste of real rain in too long yesterday – and long-suffering farmers are hoping it’s a sign of wet months ahead.
Farmer John Piccirillo said he “did a little jig” as rain began to fall on his property near Mildura in Victoria’s northwest.
“I’d forgotten what it looks like,” he said.
“We haven’t had this sort of rain in a while.”
One of a number of farmers around the Murray-Darling Basin whose irrigation allocations are under threat by the drought, Mr Piccirillo said the 25mm of rain that soaked his citrus and grape crops overnight gave him hope.
“It is a help,” he said.
“What we really need is for the rain to fall in the catchment (area) and shore up water supply.”
The weather bureau has warned the rain is “not within a bull’s roar” of ending the drought.
 
Senior forecaster Philip King said last night Mt William in the Grampians got 58mm between 9am and 10pm yesterday.
Stawell received 49mm, Horsham 36mm and Mildura 31mm.
He said another cold front was due to move through the state on Tuesday, bringing with it more heavy downpours.
The rain, which entered Victoria on Thursday night, has lifted the hopes of many battling farmers.
Third generation farmer Kevin Crook, who runs a merino stud and grain farm at Ouyen with his brother Alan, said the rain would help their sheep and their crops.
“This is the best opening autumn-break rain we have had for 10 to 12 years,” Mr Crook said.
“We will get sheep feed now and we will be able to get all of our crops in.”
Mr Crook said about 25mm of rain fell on his farm in 24 hours – almost a quarter of the 120mm that fell all last year.
“Everyone’s done it pretty tough. The exceptional circumstances payments only really help people who are nearly out anyway,” he said.
“It’s only the farmers who’ve put money away that have been able to pull through.”
While rain fell across the Mallee and Wimmera yesterday, Victorian Farmers Federation president Simon Ramsay was in a water and wheat meeting with Prime Minister John Howard.
Mr Ramsay said farmers across the state needed up to 50mm to allow crops to be planted.
“To do any real good, it’s got to be 25 to 50mm, and then maybe the same again to make sure we’re OK,” he said.
Yesterday, Mr Howard said Australians should continue to pray for rain, following his appeal for prayers last week.
“It’s only a beginning . . . but it is promising,” he said.
 Weather bureau duty forecaster Richard Russell said yesterday’s rain would cross the state by the end of today.
While Mr Russell said the end of April traditionally brought rain, others think there’s a greater force at work.
Last Wednesday, more than 200 Melbourne Christians gathered in Fitzroy Gardens to pray for rain.
A spokesman for Melbourne Water said dams would need more than one strong fall to start filling.
“With the catchments so dry, much of the initial rainfall is likely to be absorbed into the ground,” he said.
April rainfall on Melbourne’s dams has been just 8.6 to 26.5 per cent of the average.