Our SES off to help Queensland in storm clean-up

By Erin Williams
Updated November 2 2012 - 10:59am, first published November 21 2008 - 12:41pm
HELPING OUT: Ararat SES volunteer Geoff Dunmore prepares to head off to Queensland to help storm victims.
HELPING OUT: Ararat SES volunteer Geoff Dunmore prepares to head off to Queensland to help storm victims.

THE region's State Emergency Service volunteers left Ballarat yesterday to lend a hand to victim's of Queensland's devastating storms.Thirty-two volunteers and two regional officers from the mid-west region will relieve Queensland's SES today, tomorrow and Monday.Three wild storms hit the state's south-east in a week causing stormwater damage and knocking down trees.A fourth storm has been forecast for today across an area stretching from Barcaldine to Brisbane.SES mid-west region regional officer Tony Grimme said it was the first time the SES group had been called in to attend a disaster in Queensland.He said the taskforce would be posted to an area on arrival to help with the recovery."We will be taking over some area and relieve locals so they can recover,'' Mr Grimme said."The taskforce will be assisting the community and locals to get it back to some sort of order.''Volunteers from , Ararat, Bacchus Marsh and Rupanyup left for Brisbane yesterday."We will do whatever we can do to help our colleagues,'' Ararat SES volunteer Geoff Dunmore said."From what we have seen on the television, it will be a variety of work; tarping buildings and houses, removal of trees and cleaning up debris.''Volunteer Robert Wohlers, also from Ararat SES, said he was looking forward to helping and working with a taskforce from another state."I think it will be a familiarisation with other states, because we are different in what we do,'' Mr Wohlers said.The taskforce is expected to leave Brisbane Monday night.

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