Northern beaches builder Carl Hinton organises free water tanks for bush fire victims
South coast householders lost everything in the bush fires, including their drinking water, but a northern beaches builder has organised two relief convoys to help improve their lives
Manly
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A northern beaches builder has organised two convoys of trucks and utes to deliver dozens of portable water tanks to people on the NSW south coast who lost homes in the summer bush fire emergency
Carl Hinton, of Urban Impact, also gathered a group of volunteer workers together to renovate a community hall at a fire-ravaged village.
Mr Hinton was shocked by the images of devastation caused by the summer firestorms and how people were battling to access basic amenities like drinking water and toilet facilities.
“Drinking water is a real problem especially for the elderly as most of the water tanks have either ben burnt or are contaminated,:" he said.
“They are trying to drag round 20 litre jerry cans to drink out of.”
Mr Hinton said he heard about one woman with a solitary tank in the back of her ute driving round to her neighbours’ properties trying to distribute fresh water.
“The other problem is that every outlet on the south coast has sold out of water tanks.”
Mr Hinton came up with an idea to ask people to buy portable 1000 litre water tanks for $325 and he would organise to deliver, and install them, free to the fire affected properties.
He also managed to get Hardware and General to subsidise some fencing products.
“I thought I might just get a couple of people buying tanks and a couple of guys to help me deliver and install them, but I was completely blown away by the response.”
For the first delivery convoy, Mr Hinton had more than 80 water tanks, two large trucks, two tipper trucks, eight utes, five trailers and about 20 people to move the tanks down to the burnt out homes.
“We managed to distribute 44 water tanks on the first day and then fill them with fresh drinking water.
“Without exception the recipients were exceptionally grateful for the tank and water but moreover, for the demonstration that people are thinking about them and want to help.
“It made a big difference to the moral of people that have had a very rough ride and most have not received any financial assistance yet.”
Last weekend another convoy went to the village of Nerrigundah, west of Narooma, where volunteers also helped renovate the community hall and install some bathrooms and a kitchen so that the residents have somewhere to stay as they rebuild their homes.
Of the 25 homes in the village, 22 were destroyed by fire.
The workers also visited the tiny village of Tinpot that had been cut off for two days because of fallen trees.