Australia Day – Community Organisation

Chris (Corky) Corcoran and his team volunteer their time seven days a week to help various organisations raise much-needed funds for the local community.

The South Burnett appreciates the incredible support CROW-FM made to providing around-the-clock information during the 2013 January and March floods, the fantastic results from the Mayor’s Red Earth Foundation on air-auction and the promotion of many events and community fundraisers throughout 2013.

The club celebrated its 65th anniversary in 2013, and this strong band of volunteers continually strengthens the South Burnett from its fundraising and volunteering.

In the past 12 months, $48,000 has been donated to the South Burnett’s flood-stricken farmers, South Burnett Pantry, CROW-FM, the Salvation Army, the Orana Bus Committee and many more.

The club also partnered with the South Burnett Regional Council by contributed $15,000 to the renovations of the bathrooms at the South Burnett Private Hospital.

They also helped local young people understand the importance of driving safely and responsibly by hosting an annual Rotary Youth Driver Awareness Program. In 2013, more than 380 Year 11 students from across the South Burnett were able to attend.

Under the leadership of Kevin Krosch, a dedicated group of volunteers hands over 620 volunteer hours to the organisation, setting up and packing down of South Burnett Motors in Motion.

In addition to local service clubs being able to raise funds from their involvement, on average over $20,000 is raised from each event and donated back to community organisations such as the Scouts, Kingaroy State High School Stage Band, SES, CareFlight and Shona Muckert’s walking project.

The group was initiated by Josie McConville and Linda Thomas and over the past nine years has raised over $50,000 in support of the Queensland Cancer Council’s outstanding work.

The group practically supports locals through holding monthly meetings, allowing women affected with cancer an opportunity to meet and gain direct personal support. They also organise social functions and outings for women affected by cancer.

Their fund-raising efforts channel back to the South Burnett through the Queensland Cancer Council, the Breast and Prostrate Cancer Association and the Breast Cancer Network.

More than 56 volunteers have helped more than 10,000 South Burnett residents access this home-grown initiative that distributes food and supports the well-being of up to 93 families each week who are struggling to make ends meet.

The Pantry’s management team has developed its operations so efficiently that they are able to supply families with groceries with a supermarket value of $100 for just $35, well below cost.

In 2012 the Department of Families recognised the outstanding work of the South Burnett Pantry by awarding them the “Child Safety Recognition Award” because of the importance of regular and nutritious meals in a child’s development.

Throughout the South Burnett there is now a growing network of support and local suppliers of meat, bread and vegetables, Food Bank in Brisbane, generous individual tax deductible donations, service organisations donations such as the Kingaroy Lions Club and Kingaroy Rotary Club, all helping locals minimise the impacts of hard times.

Kingaroy SHS and the Kingaroy Rugby League Club joined together to form a community organising committee that consisted of over 20 people including students, staff members, parents and community members.

Organising a major State event such as this increased the South Burnett’s social, economic and cultural well-being.

Much of the value is unseen to the passerby but co-ordinating a huge number of community resources such as accommodation, playing venues, billeting, equipment, referees, sponsorship, catering and traffic flow, should not go unrecognised.

The hosting of this State Championship exposed referees, coaches and players to the best of the best, and enabled local young people to progress their sporting expertise and goals, with some going on to Sydney-based teams.

The Boondooma Museum & Heritage Association members, along with the help of outside volunteers, hold two major fundraising events each year.

In April, along with Anzac services and other activities, the “Spirit of the Bush Balladeers & Heritage Muster” provides a second home for seven days for bush balladeers and poets.

And in August, in a celebration of the Scottish ancestry of the original selectors of the Boondooma Homestead property in 1842, the “Scots in the Bush” festival is filled with the sounds of Scottish and celtic music, dancing and games for the whole family.

Funds from these events are reinvested back into improvements and maintenance to make the facilities more user friendly for the visitors. The Boondooma Museum also plays host throughout the year to a large number of tourists visiting or passing through the South Burnett.

Supported by a junior learner driver program, a quarter of the rally’s participants are under 18 years of age.

Visitors come from as far afield as Brisbane and Bundaberg to the quarterly rallies.

The objective of the Club is to provide a safe venue for young people – and the not so young – to hone their driving skills through rally style driving.

They are also part of the South Burnett’s volunteer army of fundraisers for cancer, working in partnership with the local business community, emergency and service groups and Council to host the annual Mother’s Day Classic Fun Run/ Walk in Kingaroy.

More than $7000 was raised from the 2013 event, and this helped towards the $5 million raised nationally from communities participating in the Mother’s Day Classic.

Not content with their monthly markets or annual show, the Nanango AP & M Society’s volunteers now transform their facilities into a home for one of the South Burnett’s newest events every year, “The Waterhole Rocks”.

It’s more than gasoline, guitars and dancing shoes, it’s a three-day feast showcasing local and out-of-town music talent, hot rods, vintage caravans and more.

Under the leadership of last year’s South Burnett Citizen of the Year recipient Les Schloss and the host of passionate volunteers who form the Nanango AP & M Society, “The Waterhole Rocks” weekend now complements the successful Heritage Nanango Country Muster.

Funds raised from these events are returned to improve their community for future generations.