A Victorian dairy farmer is calling for more resources for flood-affected communities in the state's north, with the scale of the emergency leaving some residents feeling ignored.
Di Bowles, a dairy farmer at Mead near Cohuna, said the scale of the flooding was "horrendous" and suggested the region be declared a natural disaster area to allow for appropriate resourcing.
"We need large-scale help," Ms Bowles said.
She said authorities were doing the best they could to respond to the needs of flooded communities, "but it's just overwhelming — the area is so big, the need is so big".
Ms Bowles felt the focus had been on larger population centres, and rightly so.
"But what has happened is everyone in between feel like we've been ignored," she said.
"This region relies on agriculture and farming and people have lost their whole income for the next 12 months, and this was going to be the best year we've had in such a long time.
"To have your whole income just destroyed in front of you is heartbreaking."
'Person-sized' mosquitoes
Catriona Freeman is a farmer in Prairie, more than 80 kilometres south of Mead, in the Loddon Shire.
"The Loddon Shire is a big one, and some areas are possibly more known … and our end of it doesn't always feature highly," she said.
"The whole council area needs to be thought of and looked after and supported."
She said a lot of farms in Prairie and surrounding communities had been flooded.
"We've got lots of crops under water, stock that we've been trying to check on and moving around as we can," Ms Freeman said.
She said people were eager to get Japanese encephalitis vaccinations but were struggling to find locations nearby with supply.
There were also barriers to getting to vaccination sites, which Ms Freeman believed could be alleviated by a mobile service.
"We're all joking about [the mosquitoes] being person-sized mozzies that are going to carry us away, there are just so many of them," Ms Freeman said.
Bendigo Health is running an outreach service, including dates in Rochester, but is only one of a number of agencies providing vaccinations.
Residents fortify levee banks
In Torrumbarry, residents led works to strengthen and repair the levee banks surrounding the community, which is about 25 kilometres north-west of Echuca, along the Murray River.
Dairy farmer JR Williams said residents decided to work on the levee banks themselves as concerns about the flood risk rose.
The Murray River is expected to peak at 7.85 metres at Torrumbarry Weir at the weekend.
"We've just got such a great team here working with operators and the local community — it's incredible," Mr Williams said.
"I'd love some of the people in command to get up here now and have a look and see what's been achieved and what's been protected."
Residents were supported in their work by authorities, after an initial wait for permission.
Concerns about damage to the levee banks were raised weeks ago in a community meeting.
Community fights off water
In Benjeroop, 97 kilometres north-west of Torrumbarry, about 30 residents spent Tuesday night into Wednesday morning patrolling levee banks.
Benjeroop is bordered by the Loddon River and the Murray River.
Farmer and former chief flood warden Lindsay Schultz said residents had been working to hold the water back after six major breaches.
He said about 15 to 20 people turned up within half an hour of a social media post around midnight requesting help.
"You're sort of running on adrenaline a bit," Mr Schultz said.
"Like anything, it's a marathon. You just gotta keep at it."
Additional reporting by Rebecca Norman
