Floods and severe weather are continuing to impact communities throughout New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania with 135 local government areas experiencing flooding in recent months.
Nutrien Ag Solutions has announced it will donate $150,000 to the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) to support flood-affected communities to rebuild in the wake of the devastating events of the past few months.
Nutrien Ag Solutions newly appointed managing director Kelly Freeman said supporting impacted communities at a local and national level was a priority for the business.
“Many of the communities in which we live and work in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania continue to deal with serious impacts from flooding,” Mr Freeman said. A number of our branches and stores have been directly affected and many of our farmer customers have lost crop and livestock. The impact on communities has been significant.
“Recovery for these communities will take time and resources, and we are focused on ensuring our teams and the communities have the resources they need to rebuild and recover.”
FRRR has supported remote, rural and regional communities across the country to prepare for and recover from natural disasters since 2006. To date, FRRR has distributed around $46 million for community-led disaster recovery and resilience initiatives.
The funds from Nutrien Ag Solutions will be pooled with other donations and distributed via FRRR’s Strengthening Rural Communities: Prepare and Recover program, with FRRR offering one-off, flexible grants of up to $25,000 to support community organisations in these flood-impacted regions.
FRRR’s CEO, Natalie Egleton, said contributions like this from organisations that are so embedded in the affected areas are highly valued.
“It’s wonderful to have the support of companies like Nutrien whose business is in rural communities and who share our vision for the long-term sustainability and resilience of these communities. We greatly appreciate this donation, which builds on the strong partnership we hold with Nutrien Ag Solutions,” Ms Egleton said.
“It is important that we make it as easy as possible for communities to access support. Donations like these contribute to a larger pool of funding. This means that FRRR will have flexible funds available to support local not-for-profits and community groups when they need it. They will be on the frontline of recovery and rebuilding for years to come, and with the support of organisations like Nutrien Ag Solutions, we'll be here to support them.”
Mr Freeman said beyond the donation to FRRR, Nutrien will be matching employee donations, to show support for the employees’ contribution to those affected.
“Our network of employees is ingrained in the impacted communities. They have been moving livestock to higher ground, sandbagging around their communities, offering donations and food at a local level and a helping pair of hands to those in need.
“Our entire network cares deeply for those affected and we’re committed to supporting our staff, our clients, and the agricultural community through the good and the bad."
The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal – FRRR (phonetically: F-triple-R) is the only national foundation specifically focused on ensuring the social and economic strength of remote, rural and regional communities.
FRRR's unique model connects common purposes and investment with locally prioritised needs, to create communities that are vital and resilient.
