February 7, 2013
The Australia Day weekend floods have provided the perfect opportunity for some local residents to help clean up their act … quite literally.
The Kingaroy Probation and Parole Office has been assigning people ordered by the courts to complete community service to help with the big clean-up.
Three community workers were lending a hand at the RSPCA Shelter near Kingaroy Airport today, clearing soaked rubbish from sheds, sweeping out sand and silt, and trying to sort out what could be salvaged from rubbish.
Water entered two of the RSPCA’s storage sheds and a shipping container during the rain, destroying stored pet food and soaking archived records.
Electrical equipment including fans stored in the sheds were also damaged.
Fortunately all the Shelter’s animals were high and dry, out of harm’s way.
Shelter manager Sally Charles told southburnett.com.au today the three community service workers she had been assigned had been a great help.
They had cleaned out the sheds, tidied the area and filled a big skip bin with rubbish.
Probation and Parole District Manager Jathan Fischer said 10 men had assigned to various clean-up projects around Kingaroy.
They had helped at the Town Hall evacuation centre as well as at the Salvation Army store which had suffered some flood damage.
Overall, Kingaroy Probation and Parole have 101 people on their books, 58 completing community service, 33 working off fine option orders and 10 serving intensive correction orders.
Mr Fischer said that since July 1, 2012, the workers had completed a total of 2449 hours of service in the local community with an estimated value of $53,878.
Not-for-profit community groups who are interested in partnering with Queensland Corrective Services on projects should contact Kingaroy Probation and Parole Office on (07) 4164-0210.
