THE GLOUCESTER Rotary club hosted a free dinner event on Tuesday, 3 June to thank the volunteers who pitched in to support the community during the region’s recent flood event.
Robert McNiece, Captain of the Gloucester SES crew, spoke on dealing with flood disasters, emphasising the importance of preparedness, response and recovery.
Captain McNiece said emergency services organisations such as the SES, Rural Fire Service and Police showed significant team spirit and togetherness in their efforts to protect the town, highlighting also the impact of willing community volunteers. Grahame Bird from Win News spoke about the various challenges of reporting on the flood crisis, while local dairy farmer Trevor Middlebrook shared his experience regarding the impact on dairy cattle and the resulting milk production loss.
NSW Reconstruction Authority manager Mitch Parker and Upper Hunter MP Dave Layzell provided information on the government assistance packages available to communities affected by disasters, and the process involved.
Jigna Patel from Gloucester Hardware, which was impacted by floodwaters, thanked the emergency services and all those that helped with the cleanup in the aftermath, enabling the store to recover and continue to trade.
As well as helping with the cleanup, the Rotary District 9660 Disaster Aid Team has been working hard to secure and raise funds to support those in need.
“As such, we are pleased to announce that we have arranged for a number of $500 debit cards to be made available to provide meaningful assistance to struggling community members,” a Rotary spokesperson told NOTA.
For those experiencing difficulties, please reach out to Rotary via Facebook, or email rotarygloucester1@gmail.com.
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