ShoreTrack assists flood-affected primary producers Nambucca Valley Nambucca Valley - popup ad by News Of The Area - Modern Media - March 7, 2024 Jaiden Blair, Aden Hillary Whalen and Noah Laird are among the 70 young people from ShoreTrack who have delivered around ten kilometres of fencing for flood affected farmers in the district. Photo: supplied. ALTHOUGH the lasting effects of the February 2022 floods are invisible to most of the broader Nambucca Valley community, for many of those in the primary industries the work of repairing the damage goes on. Early last year the Macksville-based youth support organisation known as ShoreTrack, being not-for-profit, was able to secure a grant from the Early Needs Recovery Program. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au This program is part of a $150 million primary industries support package funded jointly by the State and Federal Governments that provides support to primary producers in the most flood affected areas of the state. The grant has allowed ShoreTrack to offer vital assistance to farmers in the district. “We have had an opportunity to connect with a number of primary producers who were affected by the floods and learned that the financial implications and loss of income as a result of the floods made replacing lost fences extremely difficult,” ShoreTrack’s Jill Ashley told News Of The Area. “Since April 2023 our young people have become very good at fencing and have been able to replace around ten kilometres of fencing destroyed by the floods.” All 70 young people at ShoreTrack have had experience in fencing over the time of the program and have had the experience of helping others in the community whose livelihood had been affected by the floods while learning a range of skills valuable in the rural sector. “Not only have our young people been learning agricultural skills that are hugely in demand, but they have been back on country which is a strong and positive wellbeing opportunity for our kids.” With the project ending, ShoreTrack will utilise the fencing and other farm skills learned in its Steps Program, which trains and employs young people to prepare them to move onto meaningful employment across a range of industries. In addition to the traditional methods of fencing using hand tools and teamwork, the fencing teams have been trained in the use of machinery and other technologies. Through Steps, ShoreTrack also aspires to develop a cohort of youth leaders who can eventually run this private enterprise themselves and potentially train and mentor other young people. By Mick BIRTLES
