Former South West locals donate 4200 litres of helicopter fuel to flood affected towns

Former South West locals Stuart and Genevieve Fraser have made a massive donation to disaster co-ordinators in the South West allowing them to helicopter fodder to stranded livestock.

Disaster coordinators across the flooded South West will be able to undertake more fodder drops to stranded livestock thanks to a generous fuel donation from former locals.

LNP senate candidate Stuart Fraser and his wife Genevieve donated 4200 litres of AV Gas which will be used to get helicopters back in the sky.

The South West was thrashed by heavy rainfall last month with more than 500mm falling in a matter of days and the flood impacting area reaching double the size of Victoria.

The former South West Queensland locals said after seeing what had happened to their old home they had to help out and with the assistance of IOR petroleum, Wellcamp and Mansell’s Transport they donated 20 drums of AV gas.

“I’m from Wyandra and Gen lived out here in Charleville, we have been talking to family and friends out here and asking them what they needed,” he said

“People were donating their time and their helicopters to fly fodder to stranded animals and there was a shortage of gas so we got 20 barrels and donated it to the cause.

“I know what a sheep looks like when their fleece is full of mud and can’t get out of a bog and I know what cattle look like when they are suffering from exposure and it is heartbreaking so we wanted to make sure we were assisting.

“When you live in the city you're not out here on the ground so we thought how can we help and that was the gas delivery.”

Mr Fraser said it was shocking to see a region once so full of animal life barren and bare.

“All of the saleyards are quiet, the Roma sale yard normally does 8000-10000 head a week and its empty, at Morven there is a stock hub that normally do 115,000 a year and they’ve got nothing coming through either,” he said.

“The only place that is getting a few deliveries is the goat abattoir, but there are a lot of places they can’t get stock from.“People haven’t been able to get onto their properties to assess the damage, they are fearing what might be lost but they don’t know what the true losses are.”

Mr Fraser said the fuel had now arrived in the region and would be going out to the disaster response teams.

“They will distribute the drums from here, farmers will pick it up to do drops or give it to the pilots and it will be used for the smaller choppers like the Robinson 22s and 44s,” he said.

“People have been pretty happy, we haven't made a big deal of it, but everyone is really appreciative, the disaster co-ordinators both the police and the DPI have been really pleased.

“There was such a shortage of fuel out here, when you've got people willing to donate their time and their helicopters but you're run out of fuel it is difficult, they were down to their last drums.”

IOR petroleum donated barrels to the South West

IOR Chief Operating Officer Drew Leishman who donated the drums for the fuel said when they heard Stuart and Genevieve’s plan they knew they had to put up their hands to help.

“Outback Queensland is IOR’s heartland and so it’s without hesitation that we’re donating Avgas drums to Rural Aid to support communities impacted by the floods,” he said.

“Across IOR, our hearts go out to those communities in this devastating time.

“We’re constantly in awe of the resilience shown by Queenslanders living in the outback and we’re proud to provide our support alongside Rural Aid.”

Mr Fraser urged people to help out where they can.

“I would encourage people to donate through Farm Angel and Rural Aid, Rural Aid have been integral in getting the hay out here,” he said.

“Listen to what the people on the ground want, what we don’t want is things being sent out here which become a hassle not a help and that is about listening to the disaster co-ordinators, the local mayors and the charities on the ground.

“I’d also ask people to consider coming for their Easter holidays, there is a big rodeo on in Roma which is the biggest event of the year and consider coming out here for the June July holidays.

“The weather will be great and they are repairing the roads quickly so come out and see South Western Queensland.”