February 10, 2014
Goomeri Show Society has been successful in a social media competition, winning $1500 worth of irrigation equipment as part of a rebuilding project.
The Goomeri Show Pavilion was flooded with a metre of water during the January 2013 floods.
Show Society spokesman Andrew Holden said the Society entered a competition, run by poly pipe company Philmac, in bid to install new piping to the cattle yards and new watering systems.
The public voted for the projects on social media to determine which would be short-listed for the judging panel.
Philmac announced last week that the Goomeri project was one of just two that across Queensland – and 10 from across Australia – to receive a Philmac grant.
The Goomeri Show Society will receive $1500 in cash and Philmac products valued at $1000 to help install new plumbing and watering systems at its showground.
Irrigation Australia chief executive Duane Findley, who was one of the judges, said the projects submitted by more than 80 organisations were of a very high quality, indicating considerable thought had gone into ideas to save water and improve water quality.
“I was impressed by the level of engagement and involvement from regional communities in the Philmac Project. The entries clearly demonstrated the important roles that water and irrigation play in this country and in particular regional Australia,” Mr Findley said.
Another judge, AgChatOz co-founder Sam Livingstone, was struck by the level of broader community involvement in the proposed projects, and some of the creative ideas and innovative technologies being proposed.
“It’s great to see people coming up with ingenious ways to save water and look after the environment, whether they are from a small isolated rural school or a better-resourced organisation in a larger regional town. It’s something that needs to be encouraged,” he said.
Philmac managing director Mark Nykiel said the company was delighted with the response to the initiative, launched in 2012 as a way of giving something back to rural communities.
“This is an important campaign because those communities have stood by us in tough times by continuing to buy Australian-made products,” Mr Nykiel said.
“And that support has allowed Philmac to continue manufacturing in this country, producing high-quality fittings that stand the test of time and provide true value for money.
“The initiative has obviously met a significant need, particularly in smaller communities, and we are certainly keen to offer another round of funding later this year.”
- Related article: Vote For Goomeri Show To Win $5000
