This year's National Volunteer Week 2025, from May 19-25, celebrated the power of volunteering to bring people together with the theme 'Connecting Communities'.
Meanwhile, here in the Macleay, our community has experienced yet another flood, this time a major flood, which overtopped the levees in the CBD and Smithtown, inundating homes, businesses and farms, and isolating our villages and towns from the coast to the mountains.
In times of emergency, the volunteer force that makes up our SES literally keep our communities connected, as they coordinate the emergency response, working with council, the Police, the RFS and other levels of government and frontline organisations to keep our communities safe and informed.
We have also seen community groups and members, some locals and some from out of the area, roll up their sleeves and pitch in to help with whatever resources they have available - whether that is the Crescent Head Surf Life Saving Club providing essential trips across the Corduroy for medical appointments, medications, and emergencies, or individuals helping to remove mud and flood damaged furnishings from homes and businesses.
Australians are renowned across the world for the way we come together and help out in times of natural disaster - again and again we see our amazing rural communities pull together in times of trouble, helping out friends, neighbours and strangers, simply because it needs to be done.
The SES is managing a significant number of spontaneous volunteers to help clean up after this event, and have shared some guidelines to assist those people who want to help out:
Emergency services are already on the ground and managing the response, so it's important to coordinate with them to avoid confusion or duplication.
- Let NSW SES know where and how you plan to help.
- Team up with existing groups or join coordinated efforts already underway.
- Make safety your top priority—don't take unnecessary risks.
