Record $575,000 donated through Harvest Mass Management Scheme

29/7/2025

Western Australian grain growers have again demonstrated their commitment to regional communities, donating a record-breaking $575,000 to WA charities through the Harvest Mass Management Scheme (HMMS).

This contribution, which was generated from 1,385 tonnes of grain voluntarily forfeited by WA growers during the 2024/25 CBH harvest, marks the largest HMMS donation since the program began in 2012.

The funds have been distributed to 16 charities that provide a range of support to grain-growing communities including mental health services, drought relief, emergency assistance, and youth mentoring.

The HMMS, a collaborative effort between CBH and Main Roads WA, aims to mitigate the incidence of overloaded grain trucks during harvest season. Growers are given the option to forfeit grain from overloaded trucks, which is then sold, and the resulting proceeds directed to WA charities nominated by growers and employees.

Since it began, the HMMS has donated more than $3.6 million to WA charities.

CBH Chair Simon Stead said the scheme reflects the grain industry’s broader commitment to building strong, resilient communities while promoting safe harvest practices.

“The HMMS program is a practical initiative that not only improves safety during harvest but also delivers meaningful, lasting support to the people who make our grain-growing regions thrive,” Mr Stead said.

Wheatbelt and Beyond Youth Mentoring Co-Chief Executive Officer Janine Dayman said they will use HMMS funding to grow their school-based mentoring and advocacy initiatives for equitable education, as well as to support part of their annual 2026 camp.

“We are driven by the desire to ensure a rural upbringing does not limit a young person’s choices and opportunities,” Mrs Dayman said.

“This funding will help us expand our mentoring programs which support young people from rural areas to navigate the challenging transition from adolescence to adulthood.”

Country Women’s Association of WA State President Felicity Edwards also welcomed the funding and highlighted how it will be used to help sustain community services and infrastructure.

“In the past, HMMS funding helped repair our Toodyay and Darkan branch-managed buildings which serve as a connection space and hub for branch activities,” Ms Edwards said.

“We are excited to use this year’s HMMS funding to support our other branches located in grain-growing communities.”

Details of the 16 charities receiving funding are below:

Recipient	Amount	Purpose
Beyond Blue	$45,000	Beyond Blue provides mental health information, support, and hope for everyone, no matter where they are on their journey. Approximately 900 people will reach out to the Beyond Blue Support Service within a 24-hour period. Staffed by trained counsellors, this service is available free of charge, 24/7, to all people in Australia via phone, webchat and email. HMMS Funds received will help keep this vital service running, and help ensure that every call, webchat and email can be answered.
Black Dog Institute	$20,000	Black Dog Institute is the only medical research institute in Australia that investigates mental health across the lifespan—from childhood to adulthood. By translating this research into practical, evidence-based solutions Black Dog Institute aim to create real-world change that improves mental health outcomes for all Australians. HMMS funds will be used to support the delivery of training, resources and tools to health professionals and consumers, ensuring they reflect the latest research and best practice approached.
Blue Tree Project	$50,000	Blue Tree Project is a grassroots mental health charity dedicated to breaking down stigma in regional communities through real, on-the-ground connection. The team travels to rural WA towns, including those located in WA’s grain-growing regions, to host community outreach events, share lived experience stories, deliver Mental Health First Aid training, and activate blue trees as lasting symbols of hope. Funds will be used to support the organisation’s work in regional WA grain-growing communities.
Breast Cancer Care WA	$20,000	Breast Cancer Care WA provides services designed to reduce the emotional, practical and financial stress of a breast cancer diagnosis — allowing individuals to stay connected to their communities, families, and farms during treatment and recovery. Support includes online and phone-based counselling and nursing support, in-person visits to key grain-growing centres, and practical hardship assistance that helps families manage when income is impacted by illness. HMMS funds will enable Breast Cancer Care WA to deliver support services to women and families living in WA’s grain-growing regions.
Cancer Council WA	$20,000	Cancer Council WA offer services to individuals and families affected by cancer. HMMS Funds will support Cancer Council WA’s Regional Education Officers that travel to WA’s grain-growing communities to deliver education about how best to prevent cancer and detect it early.
Country Women’s Association of WA	$30,000	The CWA of WA’s purpose is to unite women and strengthen communities through friendship, education, service and advocacy. It aims to improve the well-being of all people, especially those in country areas, while being a strong, reputable, relevant voice positively impacting lives and communities. HMMS funds will be used for supporting branches in grain-growing areas, particularly those with meeting halls requiring maintenance and repairs.
Esperance Ag Fund	$15,000	The Esperance Ag Fund was established to make an indelible difference within the Esperance community. Through donations from the local agriculture sector, the Fund provides support to projects that make a positive impact in the Esperance community, investing in opportunities that make Esperance a place anyone would want to live and thrive. HMMS funding will contribute to the Esperance Ag Fund grants program, which aims to benefit local organisations and the broader community.
Farmers Across Borders	$15,000	Farmers Across Borders is a volunteer group of WA farmers and truckies aiming to help farmers and graziers who are dealing with drought and other natural disasters. HMMS Funds will ensure that Farmers Across Borders can continue to support farmers when they need it the most.
Foodbank	$25,000	Foodbank WA is the Sstate’s largest food relief service, working with 550+ schools to support 28,300 students with breakfast and welcoming an average of 750+ adults/families a day across six branches – five of these located in regional WA. HMMS funds will be used to seed fund the “Foodbank Agency Pantry Program” in collaboration with a local service provider within the Wheatbelt region.
Hurt to Help	$35,000	Hurt to Help provides financial aid and educational support to individuals and families facing hardship due to circumstances beyond their control. In addition, their annual Bin 2 Bin marathon – which runs between the grain receival points in Mt Walker and Narembeen – aims to generate financial support, promote positive wellbeing and community awareness within the grain-growing region. HMMS funds will be used to support operations of events organised by Hurt to Help and directly support individuals and families facing hardship in grain-growing communities.
JK Foundation	$35,000	The JK Foundation supports youth in regional communities by improving access to sport, education, health, and wellbeing resources, helping them reach their potential and build a positive future. It runs school and youth programs in Mullewa and Geraldton and supports young athletes across the Midwest by reducing costs and barriers to participating in sport and mentoring and wellbeing programs that build engagement and character. HMMS funding will allow JK Foundation to expand these programs to Northampton and launch the School Engagement Program in Morawa.
Lifeline WA	$15,000	Lifeline WA provides all Western Australians experiencing a personal crisis or thinking about suicide with access to 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services. Because rural communities are at higher risk, with people in rural populations twice as likely to take their own life by suicide, the funds received will keep crisis support through phone, text and online chat available 24/7, every day of the year.
Ronald McDonald House Charities WA	$50,000	RMHC WA provides essential services and a home away from home for regional and rural families with ill or injured children, at no cost and for as long or as often as they need. On average, every year RMHC WA will provide over 3,800 nights of 24/7, 365 days-a-year supported accommodation and almost 15,550 nutritious home cooked meals to families from WA’s grain-growing regions. This vital support helps to alleviate the emotional and financial pressures many families experience. Funds will be used to continue to provide this support to families when they need it most, so they can focus on what really matters, caring for their child.
Royal Flying Doctor Service WA	$100,000	RFDS WA ensures people who live, work and travel in regional WA have access to primary health care and 24-hour emergency services. In 2024, RFDS WA retrieved 3,001 patients from grain-growing areas, highlighting the importance of the service to regional health and safety. HMMS funds will be used to purchase vital aeromedical equipment to support RFDS WA to continue the organisation’s life-saving work.
St John WA	$60,000	St John WA is a charitable, non-profit, humanitarian organisation, delivering the State's ambulance service along with providing first aid training to the community. HMMS funds from this round will be used to continue to help maintain and grow a strong Community First Responder and State Defibrillator Network in the grain growing region. To date HMMS donations have enabled St John WA to install 222 automated External Defibrillators across grain-growing communities and funds from this year will be used to install a further 20 more.
Wheatbelt and Beyond Youth Mentoring	$40,000	WBYM is driven by the desire to ensure a rural upbringing doesn’t limit a young person’s choices and opportunities in life by providing ongoing mentoring for all secondary students in participating District High Schools (DHS). HMMS funding will support and expand programs in grain-growing regions by strengthening mentorship opportunities, supporting the annual camp, advocating for equitable education for young people in regional areas, and enhancing mentors’ understanding and engagement with regional communities.

For more information about the HMMS and the charities supported, visit www.cbh.com.au.