General News
30 January, 2026
Truckies unite for hay convoy
A GROUP of truck drivers will depart Allansford tomorrow morning (Saturday) with around 50 loads of hay to support fire-ravaged farmers in the state’s north.
Truck driver Eddie White has been one of the organisers helping to harness a unified approach between Warrnambool-district farmers and drivers to get hay and silage where it needs to go.
Truck drivers from Portland through to Colac will be taking part in the hay run which will depart Allansford at 6.30am this Saturday, January 31 from 29 Factory Road.
Speaking with the Warrnambool Weekly, Mr White said the effort was all about helping out where possible.
“We’ll have about 50 trucks out of the western parts of Victoria, all of which will be taking donated hay,” he said.
“When the fires all hit, we decided we wanted to do a hay run down to the areas impacted but we all wanted to do it under our own drive.
“We just wanted to do it ourselves, not part of any other big hay run groups.
“We just want to go down and help the farmers out.
“For a lot of us in the south west our main work comes from farmers, so we want to give back to farmers.”
Hay trucks will travel in a convoy on Saturday morning in a bid to get support where it is needed most.
The convoy will travel along the Princes Highway through Terang, Camperdown, Colac, Geelong before travelling the Hume Highway to Tallarook and Yea.
From there, the hay will be distributed to farms as needed.
Mr White said the inundation of support, from those donating or even just offering appreciation and kind words, meant the world to all involved.
“It’s amazing to see the support we’ve gotten, there’s been other hay runs which have gotten 70 truckloads from across Victoria.
“We’re taking 50 truckloads from just one little area.
“Our farmers are doing it tough and are still willing to do what they can for others, and that’s not us putting ourselves on a pedestal, but people want to help out.
“People know if we burn out or fall under drought again, the people who receive the hay may one day be the ones donating the hay.”
Mr White said he hoped to see residents lining the streets in a show of solidarity for the drought-impacted farmers giving what they can for those doing it even tougher.
“We want people to get out there and watch us as we go past,” he said.
“We’re doing what we can to try help those in need.”
