POLL: Desperate for rains

Confidence at Coonamble has been boosted by some rain but there is still doubt over whether there will be a winter crop harvest.

Coonamble Shire Mayor Alan Karanouh said parts of the district had had rain.

"It's certainly faring a lot better than two or three months ago when we didn't have any rain," he said.

He said the district had scattered showers, which eased some pressure for some farmers. But, others missed out.

"We had scattered rain, which in turn gave us quite a bit of feed," he said.

"Some farmers now have enough feed, but others don't - they didn't receive any rain."

Some areas were faring better than others.

"In some parts toward the south of the shire it is really good, whereas the north is still struggling," he said. "In the town itself, businesses confidence looks like it is growing in the main street but a shadow is still hanging above our heads that we might not have a good harvest, or any harvest at all."

Farmers Neil and Anne Kennedy, whose property Yuma is near the town, said: "It's not always how much rain we receive, it's how it falls and a lot of the rainfall we do receive is at the wrong time".

Mr Kennedy said pastures needed a "good, heavy soaking".

"It's very, very dry," he said.

"Sometimes we get 20 to 30 millimetres then a week or so later we receive the same rainfall again.

"Even though it all adds up, it hasn't really done anything."