Campaspe Shire Council has paid tribute to the region's volunteer emergency services personnel, recognising their dedication, resilience, and the vital role they play in keeping local communities safe-particularly during the demanding 2025-26 fire danger season.
At an invitation-only event held at Rochester Shire Hall, Council representatives, agency leaders, and community members gathered to thank volunteers from CFA brigades, SES units, and Echuca Moama Search and Rescue. The evening acknowledged the extraordinary commitment shown by volunteers in responding to extreme heat, storms, floods and prolonged fire danger, as well as the everyday incidents that rarely make headlines but matter deeply to local communities.
Mayor Cr Daniel Mackrell spoke of the pride the community feels in its emergency services volunteers.
"You are not strangers responding to someone else's crisis," Cr Mackrell said. "You are our neighbours, our workmates, our friends, and our family members. When you respond, you do so not just as volunteers, but as people who know these places and the people who live here-because this is your home too."
The mayor acknowledged the sustained pressure placed on local emergency services during recent high‑risk weather conditions, highlighting the many ways volunteers stepped up-monitoring rivers, responding to fires, attending storms and accidents, supporting evacuations, and providing calm, capable support when the community needed it most.
"Throughout this summer, our volunteers have responded to incidents quickly and professionally, supported their neighbours during difficult conditions and stood ready at all hours to protect lives, property and the environment - regardless of their own personal situations," he said.
"Their dedication, skill and calm leadership during emergencies cannot be overstated."
The event also recognised the support of the families, friends and employers of those who serve the community.
"Behind every volunteer is a network of people who make their service possible," Cr Mackrell said. "We thank employers for their flexibility, and families and friends for their understanding and support."
Speakers from partner agencies reflected on the importance of strong collaboration across emergency services and the scale of volunteer involvement across Campaspe and beyond.
Council remains committed to working closely with emergency services agencies to support preparedness, response and recovery, and to building community resilience into the future.
The mayor encouraged residents to thank local emergency services volunteers for their efforts.
"As a council and as a community, we are deeply grateful for the professionalism, generosity and selflessness shown by our emergency services volunteers," Cr Mackrell said.
"Their contribution makes Campaspe Shire a safer and more resilient place to live."
The event was supported by flood recovery funding provided by Emergency Recovery Victoria under the Community Recovery Hubs Program, which is jointly funded by the Victorian and Commonwealth governments following the October 2022 floods.
/Public Release. This material from the originating organization/author(s) might be of the point-in-time nature, and edited for clarity, style and length. Mirage.News does not take institutional positions or sides, and all views, positions, and conclusions expressed herein are solely those of the author(s).View in full here.
