A MONTH on from numerous levee breaches along the Lower Murray, inundated landowners say they are feeling unsupported by government and the "silence is deafening" as they face significant financial and emotional turmoil in the months and years ahead.
Livestock producers are seeking answers on how government-owned levee breaches will be repaired, how water will be pumped off floodplains, and within what timeframe.
Joanne and Barry Pfeiffer run cattle and sheep, and produce hay, with daughter Alex Westlake and son-in-law Mark at Long Flat.
With 135 hectares underwater, they are unable to produce hay and have sheep away on agistment.
They said while they had some high ground, they didn't have the carrying capacity for 2000 sheep and 150 cattle, leading to the "devastating" decision to sell most of their cattle.
Due to power disconnections, they are unable to irrigate.
The time is ticking on their agistment as well, with sheep needing to be off by seeding time in April.
"We've decided that most of our cow and calf units will have to go and we'll try hang onto a small nucleus of maiden heifers that are currently being mated in the hope that in nine months time when they're calving we might have some feed somewhere on the high land," Mrs Pfeiffer said.
Much of the families frustration stems from no fortifications happening on the government-owned Long Flat levee prior to the breach and a "total lack of communication" since.
"They saw what private owners were having to do to keep their agricultural levees in place, and even visited a private levee, but they failed to spend anything on our levee," Ms Westlake said.
Ms Westlake said they had been feedlotting since the breach, which had been costing a fortune.
The family won't be able to grow winter and spring feed on their high land with livestock on it, so are facing a domino effect of implications on their enterprise and livelihoods.
"We need a commitment from government that they are serious about getting this water off and working with us to get our livelihoods back," Mrs Pfeiffer said.
"They've gone missing (since the breach). From the day it happened til today, unless we go looking for something, there's nobody checking in on us."
With their floodplain being lower than the river level, a natural recession of water is unlikely anytime soon.
"It has to be pumped off," Alex said.
"We have some of the most fertile land in Australia and we want to work with the government departments to get it back to farming land."
A government spokesperson said the government was "working with landowners, including farmers and irrigators, on the recovery effort".
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While rumours have been circulating about some inundated floodplains being reclaimed for wetlands, the state government put those to bed by telling Stock Journal there were "no plans to transform private land to wetlands".
The state government was asked how they planned to pump out floodplains left inundated by government-owned levee breaches, and whether communication with impacted landowners had been sufficient, but no response has been received as yet.
At Burdett, local cattle producer Richard Reedy's river flats and cattle yards, between the old Murray Bridge car bridge and rail bridge, are sitting under an enormous mass of water.
Mr Reedy is also the vice chair of SA Murray Irrigators and is meeting with government officials today to discuss the path ahead.
He said he was looking for a commitment from government to reinstate levee banks and a realistic figure on what that would cost.
He said 19 irrigation districts from Mannum to Wellington had been inundated, with more than 50 families impacted.
Mr Reedy said banks would need to be repaired before areas could be pumped out, a "frightening scenario" given the amount of damage done.
He said many roadways used to access levees had also been destroyed.
"The facts are fairly frightening and the reality is it will be a long haul and patience will be required," Mr Reedy said.
He believes a natural recession of water would take a year or more, at best, and is set up to feedlot yearling cattle for the next two years.
While producer grants of $75,000 will help a medium-sized operation like Mr Reedy's, he said that amount was "totally inadequate" for larger farms.
He said social security net payments and interest rate subsidies on bank loans could be an answer on how to support larger enterprises.
STEADY STREAM OF FODDER DONATIONS
The power of community spirit has been evident during the flood crisis, with neighbours helping neighbours and farmers from across the state donating fodder.
Organised by Livestock SA, about 300 round and square hay bales have been delivered to fodder drop off points from as far as Lucindale, Reedy Creek, Maitland, Laura and Mount Pleasant.
Livestock SA said more than ten farms had requested assistance with many also supporting each other indirectly.
Some local and far north agistment has been offered, while producers have been accessing grants to help manage the situation.
Producers are generally selling stock, feedlotting or sending them away on agistment.
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