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West Australian
5 days ago
- Climate
- West Australian
Drought and taxes pile on mental pressure for farmers
Brad Marson is surrounded by none of the lush greenness he's used to. Instead, he is confronted daily by dirt and dust as he endures the worst drought since rainfall records began in 1880. The parched landscape stretches beyond the horizon and spares no farm. It also takes a heavy toll on the mental health of everyone it captures. "It's the driest thing in history for us," Mr Marson explains from his ravaged property deep in Victoria's western district. He and those like him have had a tough 18 months. Yet if grappling with the impossible challenges of extreme weather weren't enough, their plight has been made worse with the introduction of a controversial emergency services tax. The impost, which from Sunday replaces Victoria's cheaper fire services levy, is designed to raise additional revenue for the State Emergency Service, Triple Zero and State Control Centre. While mental health struggles for Australians on the land are not new, they appear to be becoming more widespread, according to the 2023 National Farmer Wellbeing Report. The landmark research found 30 per cent of farmers felt their mental health had declined in recent years, while almost half admitted to thoughts of self-harm or suicide. Nearly nine in 10 landholders also reported that their farming operations had been negatively impacted by weather events over the previous five years. "It gets you down," Mr Marson says bluntly. Victoria is in the midst of a historic drought, with the Bureau of Meteorology declaring parts of the state along with South Australia experiencing their driest spell in decades. Some areas last month experienced their lowest rainfall totals since 1900, making it Victoria's seventh-driest May on record. "It's just dirt," Mr Marson says. "The reason why you farm here is because of the reliability of it. The last two years have been something completely out of the hat. It's not normal. "It's just been a very long time since we've had a (drought) here." Mr Marson and wife Fiona operate her family's property, Grassdale Estate Angus, southwest of Hamilton. Adapting to ongoing drought has meant the forced sale of stock, he says. "Our plan moving forward is simply to try and maintain the survivability of the business." While the couple had anticipated 2025 would be tough for them personally, Mr Marson says the hardship is being felt across the community. One option they're considering is sending cattle up to Queensland. "I think we will get through this but we're very lucky in our position. We don't have as much debt as a lot of people are carrying right now," he reasons. "A lot of neighbours, producers and clients are in a worse spot; they can't afford to feed animals. They're sending them into the yards to be slaughtered because they just cannot feed them." The night before speaking with AAP, Mr Marson attended a small local get-together. He says the gathering of farmers was not only important for checking in on one another but also strangely comforting. "You feel a little better that everyone's in the same boat," he says. "It's not that you're doing a bad job. We're all together, we're not alone." They've leaned on the same sense of solidarity over the emergency services levy. When it was proposed last month, state-wide protests erupted as thousands of farmers including Mr Marson descended upon Melbourne calling for the government to reconsider. Their belief is that the tax unfairly targets communities that are already under siege. "Considering that firefighting volunteers are primarily farmers and country people, it's without a shadow of a doubt a direct attack on the Country Fire Authority as well as every other Victorian." In response to the backlash, Premier Jacinta Allan has since announced a 12-month reprieve. But the damage has already been done, Mr Marson says. "This ... levy, with the drought combined, it's definitely not helping." In addition to the pause, the government has pledged $38 million in extra drought relief, which means infrastructure grants increase to $10,000 in 11 council areas and parts of West Wimmera. Meanwhile, regional charity Rural Aid is offering free, confidential on-the-ground support to farmers and their families. Chief executive John Warlters calculates there has been a 20 per cent increase in people accessing the service's free counselling support in June, compared to the previous month. "We've definitely seen an increase in the number of farmers wanting to have a conversation with our counsellors off the back of the big disasters in 2025," he says. "The ongoing cost of the drought takes a toll on people, that emotional cost. "Then there is the significant financial burden that comes with feeding livestock." Natural disasters have this year hit farmers hard across Australia, including significant flood events in Queensland and NSW, he says. "We're talking about a group of people who are incredibly resilient, who are up for any challenge that's thrown at them. "But each challenge just erodes their ability to deal with those big moments when they come along." While counselling is important, strength of community in rural Australia can't be understated according to National Centre for Farmer Health director Alison Kennedy. Although farmers generally have good mental wellbeing, she says that status is increasingly threatened. "Community can come together in a really positive way, in a way that sort of supports each other's mental health," Dr Kennedy says. The Marsons and their neighbours are relying on it. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Perth Now
5 days ago
- Climate
- Perth Now
Drought and taxes pile on mental pressure for farmers
Brad Marson is surrounded by none of the lush greenness he's used to. Instead, he is confronted daily by dirt and dust as he endures the worst drought since rainfall records began in 1880. The parched landscape stretches beyond the horizon and spares no farm. It also takes a heavy toll on the mental health of everyone it captures. "It's the driest thing in history for us," Mr Marson explains from his ravaged property deep in Victoria's western district. He and those like him have had a tough 18 months. Yet if grappling with the impossible challenges of extreme weather weren't enough, their plight has been made worse with the introduction of a controversial emergency services tax. The impost, which from Sunday replaces Victoria's cheaper fire services levy, is designed to raise additional revenue for the State Emergency Service, Triple Zero and State Control Centre. While mental health struggles for Australians on the land are not new, they appear to be becoming more widespread, according to the 2023 National Farmer Wellbeing Report. The landmark research found 30 per cent of farmers felt their mental health had declined in recent years, while almost half admitted to thoughts of self-harm or suicide. Nearly nine in 10 landholders also reported that their farming operations had been negatively impacted by weather events over the previous five years. "It gets you down," Mr Marson says bluntly. Victoria is in the midst of a historic drought, with the Bureau of Meteorology declaring parts of the state along with South Australia experiencing their driest spell in decades. Some areas last month experienced their lowest rainfall totals since 1900, making it Victoria's seventh-driest May on record. "It's just dirt," Mr Marson says. "The reason why you farm here is because of the reliability of it. The last two years have been something completely out of the hat. It's not normal. "It's just been a very long time since we've had a (drought) here." Mr Marson and wife Fiona operate her family's property, Grassdale Estate Angus, southwest of Hamilton. Adapting to ongoing drought has meant the forced sale of stock, he says. "Our plan moving forward is simply to try and maintain the survivability of the business." While the couple had anticipated 2025 would be tough for them personally, Mr Marson says the hardship is being felt across the community. One option they're considering is sending cattle up to Queensland. "I think we will get through this but we're very lucky in our position. We don't have as much debt as a lot of people are carrying right now," he reasons. "A lot of neighbours, producers and clients are in a worse spot; they can't afford to feed animals. They're sending them into the yards to be slaughtered because they just cannot feed them." The night before speaking with AAP, Mr Marson attended a small local get-together. He says the gathering of farmers was not only important for checking in on one another but also strangely comforting. "You feel a little better that everyone's in the same boat," he says. "It's not that you're doing a bad job. We're all together, we're not alone." They've leaned on the same sense of solidarity over the emergency services levy. When it was proposed last month, state-wide protests erupted as thousands of farmers including Mr Marson descended upon Melbourne calling for the government to reconsider. Their belief is that the tax unfairly targets communities that are already under siege. "Considering that firefighting volunteers are primarily farmers and country people, it's without a shadow of a doubt a direct attack on the Country Fire Authority as well as every other Victorian." In response to the backlash, Premier Jacinta Allan has since announced a 12-month reprieve. But the damage has already been done, Mr Marson says. "This ... levy, with the drought combined, it's definitely not helping." In addition to the pause, the government has pledged $38 million in extra drought relief, which means infrastructure grants increase to $10,000 in 11 council areas and parts of West Wimmera. Meanwhile, regional charity Rural Aid is offering free, confidential on-the-ground support to farmers and their families. Chief executive John Warlters calculates there has been a 20 per cent increase in people accessing the service's free counselling support in June, compared to the previous month. "We've definitely seen an increase in the number of farmers wanting to have a conversation with our counsellors off the back of the big disasters in 2025," he says. "The ongoing cost of the drought takes a toll on people, that emotional cost. "Then there is the significant financial burden that comes with feeding livestock." Natural disasters have this year hit farmers hard across Australia, including significant flood events in Queensland and NSW, he says. "We're talking about a group of people who are incredibly resilient, who are up for any challenge that's thrown at them. "But each challenge just erodes their ability to deal with those big moments when they come along." While counselling is important, strength of community in rural Australia can't be understated according to National Centre for Farmer Health director Alison Kennedy. Although farmers generally have good mental wellbeing, she says that status is increasingly threatened. "Community can come together in a really positive way, in a way that sort of supports each other's mental health," Dr Kennedy says. The Marsons and their neighbours are relying on it. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Effort to improve transportation in Bluefield moving ahead
bluefield – A town hall meeting set for June 12 will give the Bluefield community opportunities to share ideas and ask questions about a road project aimed at making travel smoother and safer from Bluefield State University's entrances to the city's northeast side. City Manager Cecil Marson said Friday the meeting will start at 1:30 p.m. June 12 on the Bluefield State University campus. It will be conducted in the Othello Harris-Jefferson Student Center. Information gleaned from the town hall will help determine how to spend a $1.2 million federal Reconnecting Communities grant. Reconnecting Communities is a program under the U.S. Department of Transportation. 'About two years ago we submitted an application for the Reconnecting Communities Grant,' Marson said. 'It's laser-focused on the northeast end of the city and what that does, it basically takes you from (Route) 52 where the Bluefield State University entryway is and takes you all the way through the northeast end past the Grant Street Bridge down past the Hotel Thelma.' The project's goal is to improve transportation and safety between the university and Hotel Thelma, which is an historic Green Book lodging where Black travelers stayed during the segregation era. 'The whole premise behind this project is to connect that part of the city to the downtown and also rework the road infrastructure and streetscape, really clean up a lot of the stuff that borders Norfolk Southern (railyard) along that main drag of Pulaski Street, Hardy Street all the way up to Rock Street and up to the campus,' Marson said. The city will work on the project in conjunction with the West Virginia Department of Highways. People attending the June 12 town hall will meet with highways officials and engineers working on the plan. Marson said the city wants as much community participation as possible. 'Because we're going to go in there, take all of the suggestions that have gotten us to this point, have some designs and schematics of what these roads could potentially look like and really, this plan grant is to get some of the engineering done and get everything prepped so this fall, we can submit for the implementation funding,' he said. 'And that's where we get the big money and hopefully, God willing, really get some of these projects down and revamp the northeast part of town and get the roads and infrastructure everybody deserves over there, and also help reinforce the college and give them a better entryway.' Darrin Martin, president of Bluefield State University, said the project would make travel to and from the campus safer. Both the Route 52 and Rock Street entrances are difficult to use and hazardous at times. 'Obviously, you think about the entrance way to campus on both sides,' Martin said. 'This is going to make it safer for us and improve the flow of traffic.' Students, faculty and visitors entering campus at Rock Street have to navigate a sharp turn. One goal would be make this curve 'softer,' Martin said. One part of the plan which includes a roundabout at the busy Route 52 entrance would make that entry point safer as well. 'It can get dicey,' he said. 'You can look and all of a sudden a car is on top of you. This should help and make that safer.' In September 2024, the City of Bluefield was awarded a $25,748,152 in federal grants through President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for the Safe Streets and Roads for All program. Marson said that the $1.2 million Reconnecting Communities grant is from a different federal program. 'Like the Safe Streets, all these grants kind of work this way,' Marson said. 'First, you apply for the grant because you have a project. The first portion is the planning, so you'll get a funding amount — that was $1.2 million for us — then you have to resubmit again for implementation. Implementation is where construction comes in and we're not there yet on this grant.' The project is big because it has been a long time since the city's northeast side has seen a major investment, Marson said. 'It's deserving. It needs it,' he said. 'We need to help the college, assist the residents, make it safer over there and clean up.' Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Bluefield OKs tougher rules on animal abandonment
bluefield — Those who abandon animals in the city limits of Bluefield will now be subject to additional penalties. The Bluefield Board of Directors approved the second reading of an animal abandonment ordinance Tuesday. The amended ordinance specifically deals with the issue of those citizens who relocate to another residence in the city, but leave their cats and dogs behind. 'This just adds additional ammunition for our animal control officers to deal with people who are not properly caring for their animals, and are not actually living with the animals, but keeping the animals somewhere separate and far from where they live,' City Attorney David Kersey said. Bluefield has had a number of cases over the past two years of people moving from one residence to another and leaving their animals behind without proper food, water and care, according to City Manager Cecil Marson. 'We've had over probably the last year a couple of cases where folks actually own property, but they are not actually living in the property and they have their animals there,' Marson said. 'It's unacceptable, and the language in the original ordinance was somewhat vague on what the authorities and what legal rights we had to seize those animals. So this ordinance has been done in a manner to make sure we clear that up so our code enforcement and animal control teams and our police force can act if necessary if we see any type of mistreatment of animals.' The amended ordinance was approved by the board on a second reading Tuesday by a vote of 4-0 with board member Daniels Wells absent. According to the existing city code dealing with animal cruelty, no one living in the city limits is allowed to impound or confine any animal in any place, and fail to provide at the same time a sufficient quantity of food and water. In other business Tuesday, Marson talked about all of the Memorial Day activities that were held in Bluefield over the past weekend, including the opening of the Ridge Runner and the Memorial Day service that was conducted in the grassy area of the 400 block. Marson said all of the flags that were placed in the grassy area for Monday's ceremony were donated by Dreama Denver. He said Paul Dorsey and Felicia Holcomb helped to coordinate the Memorial Day program. While the weather didn't cooperate, Marson said the program 'turned out well.' Despite cooler temperatures outside and a steady rainfall during most of the long holiday weekend, the Ridge Runner was still able to start making its runs across Lotito Park on Saturday. Marson said about 290 people rode the miniature train over the weekend. But the train had to stop Sunday after a derailment occurred that involved one of its wheels leaving the track. Marson was asked after Tuesday's meeting to elaborate on the 'derailment' that occurred. 'So yes, Sunday afternoon, we had no train turned over or anything like that,' Marson said. 'It just got stuck in one spot. So we had to go out there this week and reshift the track and get it running.' The new splash pad at Lotito Park didn't meet its Memorial Day opening. Rick Showalter, director of parks and recreation for the city, said the splash pad is just about finished, but some work must still be completed, including the fencing. Weather also has impacted the ongoing work. 'We don't have an opening date,' Showalter said. 'We have hired staff, so all of that is going well. We will be training them when we get a little closer. We are very excited, and I think it will be a big hit with the kids.' 'Bottom line is with the weather, we have to get the dirt in and the fence in,' Marson added. 'We have to have the fence for the safety and monitoring. So that's what has been our biggest hold-up.' Board member Treyvon Simmons said the public is getting excited about the pending opening of the splash pad. Marson said final preparations also are underway for the start of the Cole Chevy Mountain Festival at city park. Trucks carrying carnival rides from the James H. Drew Carnival have started arriving at city park, and those rides will be assembled between now and Friday's opening. 'We should have a very nice Mountain Festival this year,' Marson said. 'And thanks to Cole Chevy for putting all of that together.' Contact Charles Owens at cowens@
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
GOP's 1,000-voter precinct plan would cost Arizona counties $53 million
Photo via Getty Images A Republican proposal to force voters to cast their ballots at neighborhood voting sites would cost Arizona counties more than $50 million the first year and more than $20 million every election year. And the plan to limit those voting precincts to just 1,000 voters means counties would have to find nearly 4,000 new voting locations. Jen Marson, executive director of the Arizona Association of Counties, has repeatedly told lawmakers that the proposal would put a financial burden on the counties and would be logistically impossible to implement. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Earlier this year, Rep. Alexander Kolodin, a Scottsdale Republican, told the Arizona Mirror that he didn't necessarily believe it when county representatives told him and other members of the House Elections Committee that some of their election reform plans would be too costly and difficult to carry out. Kolodin and other supporters of 1,000-voter precincts have claimed that it would cut down on long lines and sidestep printer problems that occurred during the 2022 election in Maricopa County. Kolodin also said that it would make voting more convenient for voters in his Scottsdale-based district, because precincts would be located close to home, within their neighborhoods. But legislative budget analysts have confirmed the accuracy of the numbers that spurred the Arizona Association of Counties to oppose House Concurrent Resolution 2002. 'I'm not worried when people say that they don't trust our numbers because I know that they're right,' Marson told the Arizona Mirror. 'I just don't have time to worry about people who choose not to believe the facts.' The Joint Legislative Budget Committee wrote in an April 11 fiscal note that information submitted by the Arizona Association of Counties showed that HCR2002 would cost the counties a total of around $53 million in its first election year and more than $21 million each election year after that. 'It's not a surprise to us at all,' Marson said of the fiscal impact outlined by the JLBC. 'We've been saying for years that a move in this direction is incredibly costly in terms of manpower and dollars.' The initial cost would include about $31.5 million for new equipment at each of the 3,957 additional voting locations the counties would be forced to open, an estimate that JLBC said 'appeared generally reasonable.' The estimate accounts for around $8,000 to purchase electronic poll books, which cost around $1,400 each, and devices for voters with disabilities to use, which cost about $3,700 apiece. If the resolution became law, each primary and general election after that would cost the counties around $10.8 million to rent out voting locations and pay seven workers to staff each site. Because there is a primary and general election, that means there would be an additional $21.6 million cost to the counties every election year. The budget analysts wrote that counties could potentially see some offsetting savings from the legislation's elimination of early voting locations and emergency voting centers, but those would likely be miniscule in comparison to the increases. 'I think it's a huge impact cost-wise, regardless of county,' Marson said. The resolution would ask voters to enact the precinct-only voting scheme in 2026, and is a mirror of House Bill 2017, which would directly make the change in state law. Both were introduced by Rep. Rachel Keshel, a Tucson Republican and member of the far-right Arizona Freedom Caucus. Both have already been approved along party lines in the House of Representatives and could be brought for a vote in the Senate at any time. But HB2017 would almost certainly meet its end with a veto from Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs. HCR2002 is a workaround that would bypass Hobbs' desk to be sent to the ballot. Both of Keshel's proposals would ban the use of voting centers and require all in-person voters to cast their ballots at precincts capped at 1,000 registered voters apiece. Most counties use voting centers, which allow any registered voter to show up and cast a ballot at any polling site in the county. Under the precinct model, only voters assigned to a precinct can vote there, and if they vote at the wrong location, their ballot won't be counted. If they became law, the proposals would force a significant shift for the counties, since eight of them — including Maricopa and Pima, where 75% of voters live — use only vote centers. Four more use a hybrid system with both vote centers and precincts. Only three counties use precincts exclusively. Keshel's proposal would require Maricopa County alone to open more than 2,400 new voting locations and to hire more than 17,000 additional poll workers. In the 2024 general election, Maricopa County operated 246 Election Day vote centers and hired more than 4,000 workers. In 2016, the last time Maricopa County used only precinct-based polling places, it had 671 polling sites. 'We are confident we would not be able to find enough locations or people,' Marson said. 'We struggle to staff 245 vote centers, so a tenfold staffing increase seems undoable.' Both proposals are repeats that Keshel introduced last year but that failed in the Senate, where former Secretary of State Ken Bennett was the only Republican who voted against it. Keshel said during a Jan. 22 House Federalism, Military Affairs and Elections Committee meeting that she was hopeful her proposals would make it through the chamber this year, since Bennett was not reelected. Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap, a Republican and former state representative who supported last year's version of the 1,000-voter precinct cap, acknowledged during a January committee hearing that it would be a challenge to implement. Heap, who was a former member of the Freedom Caucus, said that a 1,500-voter cap might be more realistic in Maricopa County. Senate President Warren Petersen did not respond to questions about whether legislators in the chamber were supportive of bringing HCR2002 to the floor for a vote, following the confirmation of the increased cost to the counties from JLBC. Legislative Republicans and Democrats, along with the governor, are in a political battle over funding for the state's Division of Developmental Disabilities, which will run out April 30. The DDD needs $122 million in supplemental funding to get it through the end of the fiscal year on June 30, but both parties have been fighting since January about how to accomplish that. Some Republicans have said they are dedicated to cutting programs that parents of children with disabilities say are vital, while the nearly 60,000 people with disabilities and their families who rely on DDD face the potential loss of services in May. All of the House Republicans who are advocating for cuts to the DDD program that accounted for a large chunk of the funding gap voted in favor of Keshel's proposal before JLBC published its fiscal note. Neither of Keshel's proposals include funding for the added costs to the counties. Keshel didn't respond to a request for comment on the fiscal note. 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