“I’VE been in some pretty dark places. If I didn’t have support, I really don’t know where I’d be.”

Wimmera resident Bill* is one of the many people who has sought help from the Wimmera Uniting Care Drought Assistance Program.

Now, he is unsure where to turn after the federal government announced it would not fund the initiative past June 30. The program offers information, support and counselling to people who are dealing with drought-related issues in Horsham, Yarriambiack, Hindmarsh, West Wimmera and Buloke municipalities .

Bill, 51, reached out to the program about two months ago. A few years earlier, he had left a long-term job in the Wimmera to work away.

But soon, the new project came to a halt.

Bill returned to the region, where he discovered his partner had drained his bank account. The relationship broke down.

To make matters worse, Bill struggled to find a new job.

“I had given up a pretty good job, and found it very hard to get back into work here,’’ he said.

“The drought has made it really hard, and there doesn’t seem to be any relief.

“More and more businesses are closing, and we’re losing services. I don’t really have any job prospects and things are pretty tough.

“When I went through a break-up with my first partner, at least I had a good job at the end of the day.

“This time, I’ve got nothing.”

Bill tried to get help through other services and helplines, but struggled.

“It’s not the same when you’re talking to someone over the phone,” he said.

“Sometimes when you call helplines, you can’t even get through. And there are certain things you need to deal with face-to-face.

“When I called the drought assistance program, there was a worker on the phone to me within an hour, and at my house a couple of hours later.

“If I need anything, they are there for me 24-7. 

“They can’t fix every problem, but at least I have someone who can provide help and guidance.”

As June 30 looms, Bill is unsure what the future holds for him or the program’s employees. “Where do you turn when they cut funding? It makes things pretty hard,” he said. “Drought and its effects are an ongoing issue.

“Even if we get a few good years, it’s not going to fix everything.”

Wimmera Uniting Care chief executive Wendy Sturgess said the Department of Social Services refused ongoing money for the assistance program because it was a one-off initiative for the drought.

Bill said the drought should not be viewed as an isolated incident with a definitive start and end.

“This is an ongoing issue – it hasn’t happened overnight, and the effects will be felt for years,” he said.

Horsham Remote and Rural Engagement worker Beau Ladlow has worked with Bill.

He said the drought had exacerbated many existing hardships people faced. “It is not always people who are directly drought-affected that the program engages with," he said.

“When people tighten their belts in smaller areas, that puts pressure on everyone.

“A lot of issues are borne from financial hardship, but can lead to other emotional and mental health issues.

“The difficult part of some people’s road to recovery is taking that first step and asking for help.

“When Bill called, I recognised that was a big step.

“I spoke with him a few times and we discussed his circumstances. I then suggested he might like to get in touch with a counsellor in the program.”

Mr Ladlow said there was a long road of work ahead to help people in need.

“There are so many people struggling, and it’s such a modest and resilient community that even those in dire straits will always consider their neighbours worse off,” he said.

“My work is just beginning. Each time I visit an area, I feel there’s such a need for what we do.

“There are people who, if we didn’t get in touch with them, I don't know where they would be now.”

*not his real name

- Wimmera Mail-Times