October 11, 2017
Kingaroy resident Peter Verbakel was presented with a special Neighbourhood Watch Queensland award at the the organisation’s State Conference held in Beenleigh on Saturday.
He was presented with the 2017 NHWQ Member of the Year Award for the South West District, which extends from Blackbutt to Windorah.
The citation for the award read:
“Peter is one of those rare individuals that every community needs. Peter brings enthusiasm and dedication to every volunteer position that he holds.
“He is Group Leader with the SES, has nine years plus as a Volunteer In Policing with QPS Kingaroy, and took on his most recent role as co-editor of the Kumbia NHW newsletter.
When the previous editor had to leave due to illness, Peter not only willingly took over this position, he embraced the extra workload and brought a fresh perspective.
“He liaises with the Kumbia police and NHW president to ensure articles are accurate, engaging and therefore more practical to his community. Peter is involved in every aspect of the production of the newsletter, from the preparation and collation of articles to the printing and distribution.
“Through his involvement with the SES, Police and now NHW, he is able to generate a stronger awareness of every aspect of safety and security to the broader South Burnett population.”
“This award surprised me greatly but made me very proud to have been able to support Kumbia Rural Watch to continue to be a thriving and successful group while others in neighbouring larger towns are closing,” he said.
Footnote: Peter recently resigned as Group Leader with the Kingaroy SES; that position is now filled by Elissa Broadhurst.
