The potential ramifications of the escalating fuel crisis on top of already dry conditions has prompted a local animal refuge to put out an urgent plea for donations.
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Kindly Animal Sanctuary on the outskirts of Armidale in NSW is a haven for a veritable menagerie of rescued animals.
At any one time, 200 animals call the sanctuary home including camels, llamas, ostriches, sheep, cattle, goats, rabbits, alpacas, horses, donkeys, pigs, chickens, ducks and cats.
It is also the country's biggest Maremma rescue and has 60 dogs in its care.
But, as below-average rainfall leaves feed on the ground scarce, Kindly founder Naomi Hooper is facing a long winter hand-feeding.
The sanctuary's water supplies are also drying up.
Diesel shortages have only compounded the situation.
"Produce stores and truck drivers and everyone are telling me prices are really going to skyrocket," Ms Hooper said.
Availability is also becoming scarcer.
"I've been trying to source feed [big bales of hay] ... the closest I can get is Warwick or Gilgandra," Ms Hooper said.
She is on the waiting list for a couple of places in Tamworth.
A registered charity, the sanctuary is reliant on donations.
The first winter since the last drought she has had to resort to hand-feeding to this extent, Ms Hooper is hoping to raise $30,000 to purchase feed supplies and other necessities.
She has sourced a B-double load of big square bales of hay from Gilgandra but needs $19,000 to buy that.
At the moment she said they aren't feeding any of the bigger animals, but "things are deteriorating rapidly".
"At the moment there's still grass but it's not overly palatable and it's very, very dry so we're going to have to add blocks and stuff to that," she said.
"The dams are really starting to drop and get muddy."
She was hoping to get some machinery in to clean out some of the boggier dams but with the "diesel issues" that probably won't be feasible.
They recently put in a 120,000-litre tank, but it hasn't had rain in it since.
"It's a bit of a domino effect really when there's so many things in play at the one time," Ms Hooper said.
Normally, she said, they would buy supplies weekly or fortnightly, and only bulk buy if there was a good deal.
"But I think to be safe and to be sustainable and viable we need to get in and secure a bit of stuff ahead of time," she said.
The forecasts she has seen indicates it could be dry "for a long time".
Even if there was to be some winter rain it wouldn't be until September that the grass would start growing, which is a long time away "when you've got a lot of hungry animals".
Establishing Kindly on her 16-hectare property during the millennium drought, Ms Hooper said they try to rehome as many animals as they can before they come to the sanctuary.
"And then things that are suitable we will rehome when the right home comes along," she said.
"But a lot of the animals that are here now are not suitable for rehoming, either temperament wise or age wise or they've got medical conditions or whatever, so they have permanent sanctuary here."
One of the more quirky residents is Polly, who Ms Hooper described as the "fattest, oldest staffy you'll ever see".
She came to Kindly after her owner died and despite being advertised "on every adoption page in Sydney and everywhere" nobody would take her.
As well as being obese her toenails were so long they were curled up into her pad which made it hard for her to walk.
These days she "motors around" and loves "to sit with something".
"It doesn't matter whether it was to sit with her or not, Polly will just keep moving to any animal and sit beside it," Ms Hooper said.
At last count the fundraiser was just over $10,000 with one generous donor vowing to add $5,000 if they were able to raise $5,000 before Sunday.
In between all of this, dealing with a bushfire on their doorstep the other week, it has been a stressful time.
"I'll feel a whole lot better if we can secure some feed and stockpile a bit of stuff," Ms Hooper said.
