Statistics around the loss of livestock in the Byron Shire have been released by the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI).
Difficult to quantify
A DPI spokesperson told The Echo, ‘Figures for animal loss are difficult to quantify owing to the nature of flooding events and the fact not all losses are reported’.
For Byron Shire, they said, ‘30 landholder reports were received: five animals listed as “other” (i.e., not horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry or pets) were reported as lost; no livestock were reported lost in the Shire; almost 60 beehives have been reported as lost; and the total value of animal losses reported to date is $34,000’.
‘A total of $1.2 million damage was reported for the Byron Shire with the highest losses in horticulture, infrastructure and fisheries’.
The spokesperson added, ‘As work to determine the scale and severity of the impact continues, primary producers affected by severe storms and flood are encouraged to complete the natural disaster damage survey.
‘The survey can be submitted anytime, and can be accessed at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/damage’.
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