Special delivery for NSW flood areas

A huge Rotary team effort has delivered 30 boxes of de-badged Ambulance Victoria uniforms to help out in flood impacted areas of northern New South Wales.

The uniforms, collected for recycling and repurposing at the Drouin ambulance station, will be used by many diverse volunteer groups including opportunity shops to raise funds for the homeless and displaced.

Initiator of the project West Gippsland Rotary assistant governor Tim Wills said the local cluster of clubs had been asked if they could help meet the cost of the delivery.

He said when cost-effective way to delivery the former uniforms could not be found former Warragul identities Peter Dell and Sally Jones, now living at Woodend, offered to tow a trailer loaded with them north.

“We sought back-loading opportunities, including through an article in The Northern Rivers Times, but none could be identified. Other options failed to eventuate and so we were very pleased when the Dells offered to make the trip, coming from their new home in

Woodend to collect the load before heading north,” Mr Wills said.

At the end of the long trip they were delivered to the Rotary Club of Mount Warning at Murwillumbah which is a lead agent for local recovery efforts.

Mr Wills said Rotary clubs at Drouin, Warragul, Moe and Koo wee rup-Lang Lang and three individual members had donated funds to enable the delivery.

Ms Jones said television footage did not convey a real sense of the devastation.

She said told a meeting of Drouin Rotary that she and Mr Dell found the first-hand experience confronting but also a privilege to be involved in helping in the way they did.

Right: President of Mount Warning Rotary Club at Murwillumbah in northern New South Wales Peter McDonald (right) thanks Peter Dell and Sally Jones on their arrival with 30 boxes of de-badged ambulance uniforms from Victoria to raise funds for people impacted by floods in the region.