All around Australia, families are devastated about the recent bushfires and the damage they have done to rural properties & farms around the county. Dave, an earthmoving contractor in Newcastle, seized the opportunity to do some good and help out those affected by the bushfires with his Kanga Mini Loader. He made his way to Wingham to set up camp and assist the local farmers and volunteers of BlazeAid and for 3-day clean up. BlazeAid is a volunteer-based organisation, who works alongside rural families to help rebuild structures such as fences after natural disasters. “We’re exceptionally fortunate in this country to have volunteers give up their time to enable the creation of an organisation such as BlazeAid” says Dave from ‘Newcastle Mini Loader’.
“Luckily for the camp my PW628 Kanga Loader with several attachments came to good use. On the first day we discussed objectives and were divided into six teams to head off & provide assistance to farmers in the area. My team made its way to Hillville, which had experienced immense fire activity in recent times. Upon arrival at the property, we were greeted by the property owners, who presented quite joyful considering their recent experiences. After a quick chat, we made our way to prepare for the day ahead. After having unloaded the Kanga Mini Loader from its trailer, the first job was to clear some existing fencing which was fairly straightforward. With the owner’s permission, a tree was felled which provided several strainer posts for the section of fencing to be completed. The team worked well together under the guidance of our most experienced and senior member, Arthur, at the spritely age of 82!”
The work Dave carried out with his Kanga while working alongside BlazeAid included removing damaged fence posts, clearing and levelling fence lines of tree limbs and other debris, transporting materials, removing bark from strainer posts, drilling post holes and various other tasks. “The Kanga performed all tasks without any issues and certainly eased the workload for everyone involved during my time. As always, people were very surprised with the capabilities of the Kanga & relieved with the hours and days of manual labour it removed from their schedules. I felt proud of the machine for its efforts in very hot, dry, dusty & smoky conditions. Never missed a beat.”
Dave is passionate about his experience and want others within the industry to hop on board and help out. “The amount of work required in the areas I’ve been working seems endless & will definitely continue on for several months. I travelled 3 hours each way and was the only volunteer in the camp who had offered the use of machinery. It’d be nice to see other earthmoving businesses putting their hands up in support and offer some assistance, even if only for one day, to ease the pressure of both the volunteers & those affected. BlazeAid will remain in Wingham for at least another 6 months! If you have a spare day to lend a hand to those in need, please do so. No doubt it’ll be an eye-opener witnessing the devastation caused by the bushfires up close & personal in the coming days.”
Want to help out? Check out more information about BlazeAid here.
