Volunteering

The Country Women's Association is best known for its scones, but CWA's roots go much deeper than that. For 90 years, the Hay branch has continually served the community in many ways, with the first project being the establishment of the former Baby Health Centre.

...Lots of SES boats, big trucks and volunteers in town ... Water is heading our way but many local people are commenting that the response is over the top ... The river is expected to peak at 9.6 metres in the next week or so.

Hundreds gathered at the Victorian Emergency Services Memorial in Treasury Gardens on May 4, to honour firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Each year, CFA holds a memorial service to remember those firefighters who gave their lives to protect others and to honour the personal sacrifices and commitment our firefighters make each and every day.

Sean Cunningham. The Gillenbah Rural Fire Service recently celebrated a major win as five new recruits officially joined the ranks after successfully completing their final Bush Fire Fighting assessments ... Training, which is conducted over a couple of months, covered all the basics from how to draught water from a dam or the town's reticulated supply (main water lines), to pump operation and crew protection under extreme fire conditions.

After watching her mother, Lisa, work on the frontline as an Ambulance Victoria Ambulance Community Officer in Corryong, Maisie Pilli was inspired to follow in her footsteps. Volunteering runs deep in the Pilli family with Maisie and her siblings already being members of the CFA.

The winners of Netball Victoria’s 2024 Community Awards were announced last week, celebrating the contributions of individuals, clubs, and associations to the sport across the state ... The prestigious accolade was accepted by NCNA’s 2024 Board of Management President, Kylie Walsh, on behalf of the Board and its members.

Victorians have dug deep this year in support of the Good Friday Appeal, helping CFA reach a historic milestone and raising our grand total of contributions to $41 million. CFA has been a major fundraiser of the Good Friday Appeal for the past 74 years and this year, with the help of generous local community members, our volunteers were able to raise $1,888,912.

BirdLife Australia. BirdLife Australia, in partnership with the Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Team, is calling for volunteers to join the annual count of the endangered South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo on Saturday, May 3 ... Volunteers will be assigned one of approximately 60 survey sites in the cockatoo’s range ...

Leadership during a bushfire is a complicated and multifaceted undertaking, something that CFA Goroke Group Officer Justin Batson came to understand firsthand this fire season. Not only are you preoccupied with ensuring resources are where they need to be, trucks in position, crews supported and plans in place, you're also carrying the weight of decisions that can affect an entire community.

Hugh Schuitemaker. Riverland sporting volunteers had the chance to learn new skills and hear from an Olympic gold medallist in Renmark. More than 100 local sporting enthusiasts and local government representatives attended last Saturday’s Gamechanger event, held at St Francis of Assisi College, in Renmark.

BlazeAid is a volunteer-based organisation that works with families and individuals in rural Australia after natural disasters such as fires, cyclones, droughts and floods. Working alongside the rural families, our volunteers help to rebuild fences and other structures that have been damaged or destroyed.

“Without the actions of Captain Burke, the driver of truck would have perished in the fire. His actions on this day were courageous, selfless and in the finest traditions of CFA volunteer firefighting. The CFA is pleased to award Captain Burke the Chief Officer’s Commendation for Courage.”

As extreme weather threatened our coastline, TurtleCare volunteers worked tirelessly to safeguard the future of endangered baby turtles. Wildlife Conservation Team Leader Kate Hofmeister said their quick action and commitment ensured many nests were relocated to safer areas, giving hatchlings a better chance of survival.

Clean Up Australia Day celebrated 35 years of improving and conserving our environment one piece of litter at a time at Narrandera and surrounding towns on Sunday.

The Labor Government’s Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund levy will increase the financial strain on ratepayers during a cost-of-living crisis, particularly in rural and regional communities. The new tax is set to be collected by local councils on 1 July 2025.

Lynda Achren. Behind closed doors on Monday mornings, a team of Athenaeum Library volunteers is busy archiving our historic documents. For the past six months, with input from an experienced archivist, we’ve been meeting to sort, organise and catalogue such things as ...

Serena Kirby. Five drowning tragedies along WA’s southern coastline this summer have again highlighted the ever-present danger our coastline presents. Two people lost their lives in waters off Esperance, two at Conspicuous Cliffs ... and one at Bremer Bay.

The Tarrangower Cactus Control Group (TCCG) has relaunched its Farm Fence Sign initiative to combat the ongoing Wheel Cactus problem in the region. Residents and visitors may have noticed updated Farm Fence Signs appearing across the area, reminding the community of the persistent threat posed by this invasive species.

The local CFA teams are incredible: knowledgeable, brave and hardworking. The community is so fortunate to have them on standby during this period of extended hot weather, which is expected to continue for at least the next week.

2025 marks the 62nd Allora Show for our Patron and Life Member, Mrs Dorothy Rubie. Dorothy commenced her journey as a volunteer with the Allora Show Society when she, her husband Harry and daughter Del, moved from Warwick to their new home in Allora in 1964.