Mackay, Whitsundays, Mirani SES awardees reflect on their service

From cyclones to the Bogie massacre, these SES heroes have served on the front lines of disasters. Here are some of their inspiring stories.

State Emergency Service volunteers Janette Lindbergs, Mark Connors and Nev Ross have lived different lives, but all share a common thread - sacrifice and service to others.

Mrs Lindbergs serves as deputy controller for the Mirani SES and she put her hand up for SES responsibilities at the age of 52 when she moved to the Pioneer Valley after 20 years of service with the Royal Australian Air Force.

The now 66-year-old, who been named SES Regional Trainer of the Year for 2022, said she loved the “camaraderie” and diversity of the SES.

“It is the camaraderie, and it is working with different dynamics of people and their professions,” she said.

“They could come from lots of different backgrounds, so you are working with them, and you are training them, and you can see when you go out on an activation, it all clicks.

“They can understand why they have been trained in this way.”

SES volunteer Janette Lindbergs. Picture: Contributed

Her sense of service has taken her on deployments to disaster zones in Queensland and interstate, something she stresses is a key attribute of the SES.

“It is assisting (all) communities, not just our own,” she said.

Cardwell, after Cyclone Yasi for example, was an unforgettable experience.

“These single storey houses are on 12-foot stumps,” she said.

“It was a really amazing sight to see, and those people needed our assistance pretty badly.”

Mrs Lindbergs said she took pride in a “job well done”, regardless of the type of task.

Within the Pioneer Valley, she said the Wheel of Fire in Finch Hatton Gorge produced a lot of jobs, with the trek and waterfalls catching people out.

Bringing someone out who is injured and safely back to their loved ones is something Mrs Lindbergs cherishes.

“It is a really great feeling,” she said.

Nev Ross is the longest serving still-active member of Mackay SES, putting in 40 years for his community.

Asked why he stuck to it for so long, Mr Ross said with a laugh, “I have often asked myself the same question”.

“I’ve gotten a lot out of the SES,” he explained.

“I enjoy helping people get through, training people up to a level where they are useful in the community.”

Mr Ross is also a historian and has been recognised for ensuring the history of the Mackay branch is preserved.

Nev Ross has been recognised for capturing the history of the Mackay SES. Picture: Contributed

“I am the only one left who knows all the controllers and who has done what over the years,” he said.

“It is always nice to be recognised for something that you are doing.

“It is great, it is one of those things you do, you do not expect a reward.

“You are there to help others and do things.”

Reflecting on 40 years, Mr Ross said the core spirit of service and competence in SES members had stayed the same, but the service had become more credentialed and structured.

SES volunteer Nev Ross accepts his award. Picture: Contributed

“The guys still did a terrific job (40 years ago), it was well run,” he said.

“It is a bit more structured (today) but yeah we still do the same job.”

Mark Connors is controller for the Whitsundays SES and his unit has won Regional Group of the Year.

“The good thing about it is it is a team award,” he said.

“The whole unit can enjoy the fact they got recognised.”

The SES is a shire-based, with each branch covering a local government area.

Whitsundays SES has been named Regional Group of the Year for 2022. Picture: Facebook

The Whitsunday Unit has three groups, one in Bowen, Airlie Beach and Proserpine.

The unit was also tasked to the heinous Bogie massacre near Collinsville, where they assisted police and emergency services, including by helping feed the men and women on the job.

“The police had a whole bunch of people out there assisting with the investigation and one of the things we did was we fed about 45 people on-site,” he said.

“That is one side of it and the other side of course is anything the police want us to do as far as assisting with forensic searches.”

Mr Connors is in his 60s and has been with the SES for decades.

In that team, he credits his team’s response to Cyclone Debbie as a highlight.

“The biggest operation we have done and most successful was the response to Cyclone Debbie,” he said.

“We had thousands of jobs come in.

“We co-ordinated the efforts of other volunteers, multiple SES from around the state.”

He noted with admiration some volunteers’ homes were damaged but “they still had time to go out and help others.”

Originally published as Mackay, Whitsundays, Mirani SES awardees reflect on their service