Volunteering

Volunteer surf lifesavers have worked through one of the busiest days of the summer to date on NSW beaches, where the drowning of a swimmer at an unpatrolled location on Sunday morning, 21 January, brought the drowning toll since 1 December to 12.

Fires and floods–Central Victoria has copped it all in the past couple of weeks. Fire Brigades and the SES have been busy ... a fire in Maldon that involved a 36 volt lithium ion battery that was sitting on its charger, but was not plugged in.

Will Hunter. Local school students continue to be supported in becoming lifelong learners by furry reading companions. Each week during the school term, Story Dog volunteers spend a couple of hours encouraging students to read aloud to their dogs, boosting the students’ confidence and literacy skills.

One simple idea and a whole lot of passion has created a legacy that’s removed more than  250,000 pieces of litter from Sunshine Coast beaches at a critical time during turtle nesting season ... The community is invited to come together to tidy up their local beach as part of the 10th anniversary of the annual Clean Up For The Hatchlings event...

The CFA is calling on Victorians to become ‘citizen scientists’ to help contribute critical information about the state’s fire risk. The 2023-24 fire season is expected to be hotter and drier than recent years and grassland curing observers play a vital role in collecting ground information.

During the Christmas season, everyone loves unwrapping presents, but not everyone enjoys wrapping them. However, if you are one of those people who dislikes wrapping gifts, you’re in luck! The Tennant Creek Girl Guides have a solution for you.

“The Salvos have played an important part in the Kaniva community for a long time, so it is sad to see them leaving. From the fellowship the church offered to the much-loved Op Shop and the many times they provided outreach and help, often completely unheralded, their departure will undoubtedly leave a hole in the community”: Tim Meyer, West Wimmera Mayor.

United by grief, leaders of 26 community groups gathered last Monday at the Lucindale Police Station. Their highly respected police officer Brevet Sgt Jason Doig had gone to a job 120 kms away, and never returned.

Jo Russell. Kim and Joo and their son Ping, travelled to Hualien, Taiwan in July to take part in a Tzu Chi retreat and to be present for Ping’s certification as a Tzu Chi commissioner.   Kim described Taiwan as their spiritual home.

Alison Bennett Taylor. Denmark businesses and residents have helped bolster the community’s bushfire preparedness, funding a new hydrant that will reduce response times for volunteer firefighting brigades ... Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson unveiled the Wentworth Road hydrant which allows fire trucks to fill up from the dam at Raintree Estate in less than a minute.

Complex social issues can only ever be resolved by communities working together to address and solve them. Governments cannot solve problems, they can only resource solutions through funding and policy commitments. This requires community leaders to park their egos and focus on what is in the best interests of the community and adopt a collective growth mindset.

Come across an Electric Vehicle fire – let it burn, stay upwind to avoid toxic fumes and do not approach. If you are not there on the spot when the fire starts you will not have time to rescue anyone. Lithium battery fires are almost impossible to extinguish with water alone, as are solar panels. Some EV fires have taken over 100,000 litres of water, that is about 28 truckloads for the Wilcannia brigade.

The culmination of hundreds of hours of volunteer contributions was recognised at the official opening of Playles Park in Corryong on Sunday. Project co-ordinator, Cathy Ross, acknowledged everyone who has played a part in the project which was a collaboration of many organisations and individuals.

The Nhill RSL Sub Branch has, in partnership with Lowan Lodge 107, Rotary Club of Nhill Inc. and Nhill Lions Club, established a subcommittee aimed at honouring all service men and women in our Nhill cemetery. Our sub-committee will honour our local heroes by flying flags behind their graves on ANZAC and Remembrance days - we are hoping to start in 2024.

“At the same time we have seen these shocking declines in volunteer numbers, without any genuine attempt to stem the flow, Labor governments have embarked on a land lock-up spree that has seen National Park size in Queensland increase from around 6.6 million ha in 2002 to more than 7 million ha in 2022 ... Then we have the Prime Minister running around the country saying he will protect 30 per cent of lands, meanwhile what is currently under lock and key are poorly-managed, ecological wastelands that raise the nation’s bushfire risk": Traeger MP Robbie Katter.

The Naked Farmer (18-year CFA volunteer). Have you ever been a volunteer? It feels great, doesn’t it? Imagine if you were responsible for putting those volunteers’ life at added risk? For an organisation like the CFA which relies predominantly on volunteers, why wouldn’t it stop and ask the question, "Why are we allowing the added risk of Transmission Lines to our volunteers and those we serve to protect?"

Kaniva Presbyterian Church was blessed to have a visit from Mobile Ministry Maintenance group. This group is made up of retired Christians with many qualifications to do volunteer renovations on Church properties, campsites etc.

Citizen scientists are being called to swap their backyards for a local waterway by joining a wave of volunteers across the Murray–Darling Basin to help with conservation efforts. The spring sampling season of the Great Australian Wildlife Search, delivered by Odonata Foundation, has started.

To say that a bushfire can turn a normally rational person into someone on the verge of becoming unhinged is an understatement. Experts say that panic is a normal response and that you never know how you’ll react until a bushfire threatens your community, your property, your loved ones or your life. But the experts also say that being prepared can greatly reduce panic so here are some valuable tips and points of advice.

Organisers of the all-new Bundanoon Folk Festival this November 24-26 say it’s heart-warming to see the village community rally to lend their time and skills to bring the Festival to life ... The vision is to build an annual Folk Festival unique to Bundanoon, that connects and showcases the village, supports local businesses, and creates gigs for regional artists along with crowd-pleasing national talent. Among fun live performances will be music, song and spoken word.