Recent flooding highlights need for more volunteers across the Clarence

The Clarence Valley’s recent wild weather events have shown the dedication of local volunteers, but it also brings to light a serious issue.

SES volunteer crews at work following a storm. Picture: Lawrence Pinder

After 273 requests for assistance, 154 flood-related tasks, 34 flood rescues and 67 storm-related jobs in the past three weeks, Clarence Valley SES volunteers are finally enjoying a well-earned break.

However, these recent wild weather events have highlighted a concerning problem faced by the Clarence Valley volunteer pool: there aren’t enough of them.

“With this latest flood, we used a lot of out-of-area resources and had all nine local units drawing resources from one another,” Clarence Valley local commander for NSW SES Sue Chapple said.

“A lack of volunteers is our biggest area of concern especially in areas where they were most hit by flood.”

Ms Chapple said all of the local units were low on volunteers.

“Maclean is very short at the moment and currently being managed by the Yamba unit commander,” she said.

“Copmanhurst has a very small number of people to do flood boat jobs so we have to call on neighbouring resources to carry those out.”

Lawrence SES volunteer Terry Boatswain told The Daily Examiner earlier this year that a lack of residents volunteering in their own community had the potential to cause delays.

Like the other eight Clarence Valley units, the Lawrence SES crew is a small operation.

“Should someone drive through a flooded creek around Lawrence and get stuck, first, it takes four of us to travel from Grafton to Lawrence. Then, if two of us are away, that person stays in the creek until another unit can help,” he said.

“If we had more volunteers within their local area, especially those willing to become qualified as flood boat drivers, then those kinds of incidents can be sorted out in a much shorter time frame.”

“It’s something that I’d like to see more people get involved in because the more locals, the more local knowledge and given we are a flood area, it just makes sense that more locals get out and volunteer.”

To support your community and become a SES volunteer, CLICK HERE.
(Make sure, when you fill out your registration that you select your local area i.e. Coutts Crossing, to ensure you are assigned your local unit)