Timber Creek’s new remote op shop to support flood-affected families

A small town in the NT is about to get a much-needed boost thanks to a grassroots community initiative.

A new op shop is set to open in the remote Northern Territory town of Timber Creek, bringing much-needed clothing and essential supplies to families recovering from floods.

Timber Creek local Coralie Myers is behind the initiative, which will launch as a mobile pop-up op-shop servicing the town and surrounding communities.

With only one small shop currently operating in the area, access to clothing and household goods remains a challenge for the town’s 278 residents and those in nearby Indigenous communities.

“The communities and town were badly impacted by flooding in 2023 and 2024 and a lot of people are still recovering,” Ms Myers said.

She added that being so remote it’s tough to buy “basic supplies” like clothes and homewares and she hopes the small pop up op shop will help.

A new op-shop is set to open in the remote Northern Territory town of Timber Creek. Founder of Remote OpShops Project Tanya Egerton with clothes and supplies. Picture: Stephanie Coombes / Supplied.

Ms Myers has connected with the Remote OpShop Project, a social enterprise founded by Tanya Egerton, which has already established 30 remote op-shops across Australia.

“There are now 30 op-shops across the country … It’s going a bit wild, which is great,” Ms Egerton said.

Ms Egerton said the demand for community-owned businesses was growing, particularly among women in remote areas.

“There’s already a really big appetite out there for community-owned and led businesses, and women are pretty entrepreneurial in the communities,” she said.

“All we’ve really done is create a platform that gives them that opportunity.”

Donations have already begun arriving, with volunteers sorting and packing items with the help of Pathfinders NT.

High-priority items include children’s clothing, shoes, towels, hats, and school bags.

The op-shop will initially focus on essential supplies for kids before expanding to include adult clothing and homewares.

Another op-shop opened as part of the Remote OpShop project. Picture: Tanya Egerton / Supplied.

Ms Egerton said the project’s long-term vision, was to expand support for remote communities significantly.

“We’re currently reaching about 30 communities, roughly 20,000 people, but in the next five years, if we develop this hub-and-spokes model, we will be reaching around 120 communities—about 65,000 to 70,000 people in remote areas.”

Donations can be sent to Coralie Myers at PMB 197, Timber Creek, NT, 0852.

Items should be clean and in good condition.

For more details or to register a parcel, visit the Remote OpShop Project website.