A New South Wales mid north coast dairy farmer is trying to come to terms with a lightning strike on his herd this week.There has been a regular pattern of wild electrical storms across the region in the past few days.
In one of the most startling events lightning strikes killed 68 dairy cows on a farm about 10 kilometres west of Dorrigo, inland from Coffs Harbour.
The cows were clustered together in a paddock about to be milked when they were struck by lightning during a violent electrical storm on Monday afternoon.
The storm hit the area at Fernbrook on the Waterfall Way.
Another 69 cows survived the lightning bolt.
Work begins today to bury the dead animals.
The Dairy Farmers Board says it is almost impossible to protect livestock from being killed by electrical storms.
The board's Terry Toohey says he was shocked to hear about the 68 cows.
Mr Toohey says there is nothing that can be done.
"Probably the only way would be to fence them away from trees and that's an impractical thing to do - it's just one of those nature things that we've got no real control over," he said.
When it was suggested that this tragedy was an invention by the government to avoid scrutiny of the industrial relations and counter-terrorism laws the Prime Minister was firm in his denials.
"It is purely coincidental," he said.
"Now if I had made the calculation that I'll put this off for a few days so people won't accuse me of that, and something were to happen, people would have every right to condemn me unconditionally."