The importance of an active local SES Unit will be the focus of a public meeting in Corryong next week.

In 2022, during the early hours of the morning, a storm passed through the Upper Murray causing significant damage to farms and buildings.

In the centre of town, the local bakery was hit from the downpour of rain which caused damage to the gutters and drainage.

Unfortunately, the overflow caused flood water approximately 50cms deep across the bakery floor.

The local Corryong SES volunteers sprang into action and supported the bakery staff by clearing the blockages and diverting the flow of water away from the shop. They provided sandbagging support and jumped on the squeegees, assisting clean up to clear the flood water and debris from the business.

The Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) in Corryong has been providing vital assistance such as this to the community for many decades with records dating back to 1974.

More recent jobs the Corryong Unit members have responded to include returning access for a local family after several trees blocked the entrance to their home, providing lighting support to the local police in the recovery of a local man trapped on his roof and helping to extract an injured patient from a vehicle rollover.

Sara Jenkins, coordinator of the CNC, which operates the Upper Murray Community Bakery, said that without SES assistance “The bakery could not have returned to trading as quickly as we did.

“Having trained locals to lend a hand in a serious incident can be really reassuring. It also reduced stress as it was occurring and gave the staff confidence to work through the problem.

“Having the bakery return to operations more quickly also helped minimise our losses and continue to provide service to the community.”

Sara encouraged locals who were looking to volunteer with the SES service to “put your hand up and give it a go.

“We certainly know from the last few years, that if we can’t take care of ourselves, we could be in real trouble,” Sara said.

“The more people of all ages who are trained and experienced in emergency response and can work together to overcome adversity, the more resilience we build and the more sustainable we are as a community,” she said.

Without the SES unit and the services its members provide, a major flow-on effect will be felt in the community and other emergency service providers in the Upper Murray.

The Corryong Unit needs new members to maintain the work they do in the community.

VICSES is inviting locals to attend a Community Safety Meeting, to be held on Monday 21st August at the Corryong Memorial Hall at 7pm to learn more about volunteer opportunities and to explore the future of the Corryong Unit.

Locals can also follow the SES Corryong Unit Facebook page for further updates at www.facebook.com

This article appeared in the Corryong Courier, 17 August 2023.