Volunteering

"There's a real buzz around the station right now," said one senior member. "We've got experienced volunteers, new recruits, updated equipment, and great community support. With our new management team stepping in, the future looks bright."

Ross McDougall. Last year the Dorrobbee Grass Reserve Trust approached the Dunoon Men's Shed to assist them with making a sign to be placed on the roadside of Dunoon Road to highlight the location of the significant ecological grassland site. Long time resident John Pirlo generously donated a two metre long slab of red ash timber for the project.

On Friday May 30, a group of ten passionate individuals came together to tackle a topic close to the heart of every community: volunteerism. Held in Barham, the roundtable brought together volunteers, committee members, and community leaders from Koondrook and Barham to reflect on what volunteering looks like today—and what it could become.

The Barham Koondrook Pastoral, Agricultural, and Horticultural Show Society is sounding the alarm: without a dedicated secretary and additional volunteers, this year’s iconic community show faces cancellation. Time is running out, and we need your help to keep this beloved tradition alive!

Shaun Ossinger was announced the Community Citizen of the Year on Saturday night at a Shire of Denmark Volunteer Appreciation Sundowner. Wilson Inlet Catchment Committee chief executive Shaun won the award for his commitment to sustainability and community wellbeing, through championing initiatives aimed at protecting and restoring the natural environment.

The cover stars of the Tarrangower Times this week are the perfect exemplars of what this bumper edition of the paper is all about: celebrating the many volunteers who get things done in our small towns and caring communities.

Blake Lee. Thousands of firefighters, farmers and regional Victorians rallied on the steps of State Parliament ... Producing a cacophony of sirens through Melbourne streets during peak hour, fire trucks and volunteer firefighters made the journey from all corners of the state, bringing an estimated 300 fire trucks into the city.

The re-opening of the Bluff Falls tourist area on Sunday after restoration works is a huge feather in the cap for the 'Friends of Murray Mountain Parks' group, which is celebrating 25 years of volunteerism. The occasion was marked in December when Parks Victoria Ranger, Scott Thompson, presented several members with a 25 Years Recognition of Service pin...

The Liberals and Nationals will scrap Labor’s Emergency Services Property Levy (ESVF), Member for Benambra, Bill Tilley, vowed at a rally on the steps of Parliament House ... “Labor’s new levy has doubled or even tripled charges for property owners across the state with primary producers hit hardest and facing rate hikes of up to 150 per cent."

Nhill Fire Brigade raised an incredible amount of funds for two vital appliances: a new light tanker and the replacement forward command vehicle were officially handed over to Nhill Fire Brigade in Nhill by D17 ACFO Chris Eagle on Sunday 18th May 2025.

The silent heroes of a town are the ones who put their hands up to volunteer. "If you want something done, ask a busy person," as the old cliché says. So, as we celebrate National Volunteer Week, let's look into the many undertakings of our Mayor, Carol Oataway.

We are thrilled to launch National Volunteer Week, Australia’s largest celebration of volunteering, highlighting the power of volunteering to bring people together with the theme Connecting Communities.

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.