As many as 250 trucks have hit the road on a 1000-kilometre journey through regional NSW, delivering much-needed hay to drought-stricken farmers.
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The Burrumbuttock Hay Runners will travel from Burrumbuttock in the state's south to Armidale, passing through the Southern Tablelands, Southern Highlands, Greater Western Sydney, the Central Coast, Hunter, New England and Northern Tablelands regions.
"We're advising everyone to be patient and wait for safe overtaking opportunities or take a rest break and allow the truck drivers to move through," Transport for NSW senior media officer Rena Richmond said.
"The volunteers are delivering much-needed hay to the drought-stricken New England region, which has also had parts ravaged by fires.
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"We thank motorists for their patience while this disruption to the road network occurs."
The Burrumbuttock Hay Run was founded in 2014 and the recent bushfire crisis made the importance of this year's event even more significant.
The hay runners became one of the early responders to the crisis, acting quickly to pull together a team of volunteers and delivered much needed hay out to farmers in Corryong that were impacted.
Burrumbuttock Hay Runners founder Brendan 'Bumpa' Farrell admitted it had been a "hard" decision where to take the next convoy after the success of last year.
"The whole of NSW and southern Queensland - look, we're all in a lot of s***," he said.
"You throw a dart at the map and you still won't be able to help everyone.
"We've cut a few fences here at home and made a bit of a pad - and trucks will come in and get loaded up and stay at Burrumbuttock the night.
"Then we head off the next morning.
"There's bits and pieces we're trying to do all over the place like fundraising to install a new toilet block at the Cunnamulla Showground and fixing up the Eulo school playground... we're just trying to keep the dream alive as much as we possibly can."
Based on figures from the corresponding event in 2019 - to Quilpie, Queensland, this trek will mean a substantial boost to local farmers and businesses.
The Burrumbuttock Hay Runners was born in 2014, when Mr Farrell delivered a truckload of hay to a Bourke farmer after hearing his story of struggling in the drought.
He received a Medal of the Order of Australia in the Queen's Birthday Honours last year.
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