Drought relief nationally boosted through donation of Southern Cross Motel Group

During September, the inn’s parent company Southern Cross Motel Group partnered with Buy A Bale and Rural Aid.

The combined efforts of 11 hotel chains across the eastern seaboard raised $9000.

“Every day in September we wore t-shirts promoting the cause and we’d ask each customer if they’d like to support the farmers with a donation,” said Junee property manager Sabina Wunsch.

“The community was really very responsive. They loved it, and a lot of them thanked us for supporting the farmers too.”

This week has seen up to 15 millimetre fall across Junee, bringing this month’s total above 30 millimetres.

November is now on track to receiving its average 44.4 millimetres if the trend continues. 

But following the low precipitation of winter and early spring, farmers in the Riverina are still experiencing the hard returns of small crops.

“Our owners set up these hotels in rural areas about a year and a half ago,” said Ms Wunsch.

“They could have set up in the cities, but they wanted to support the local rural communities, so when the drought came, this was just another way we could work to support our communities.”

The effects of Junee’s dry season has hit close to even some of the inn’s staff who also operate small farmlands.

“For those of us who are not feeling the drought quite so much, it’s important for us to work directly with the community to make whatever difference we can.”