Sandbagging will be made easier for SES volunteers in a future flood event, after donations from clubs and groups across the Central West and Sydney enabled Forbes SES to purchase a second sandbagging machine.
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The asset was jointly funded by seven Central West returned services clubs including Forbes Services Memorial, Bathurst RSL, Dubbo RSL, Orange Ex Services, Gilgandra Services, Club Mudgee and Parkes Services as well as Bankstown Sports Club and Forbes Country Music Club.
Forbes SES Local Controllor Roc Walshaw and Forbes Shire Mayor Graeme Miller thanked the groups for the $40,000 machine at a presentation last Thursday.
“It is a great asset to the shire and everyone in the whole district,” Mr Walshaw said.
He estimated 20,000 sand bags were filled by volunteers during last year’s flood event.
“The second machine will make things so much quicker for next time. This will make the work easier.”
The new machine, which will be shared around the region, is motorised and enables two sandbags to be filled at once.
Mayor Graeme Miller was thankful for the support Forbes received from community groups during and in the aftermath of the flood.
“We do appreciate what the clubs have done in raising funds for this,” he said.
“This is something that will be a great benefit for the SES and I know Roc will be very pleased to have it.
“It [the flood] was quite a large event for our town.
“It’s just so pleasing to see people helping out people who are in need, I think it’s just so special,” Cr Miller said.
Representatives from the donor organisations travelled to Forbes to see the new machine.
“Our club normally doesn’t donate to outside our area, but we have a connection to Forbes,” said Bankstown Sports Club’s Richard Phillips.
John Miller from Dubbo RSL said it was a pleasure for the club to support the cause and help get a new machine.
Cindi Murphy from Parkes Services Club said “We are happy to contribute to our neighbours, even though our footy teams might be rivals.”
FSMC Club President Wayne Richards said, “I am amazed at the generosity of the seven clubs, given they all have their own communities’ needs to provide financial assistance to.”
