The drought is continuing and causing hardship for many. It doesn't only affect those on the land, but creates difficulty for the entire community. Rotary Clubs around the country are trying to make it easier for those in need.
from District Governor's Newsletter August 2018
The Rotary Club of Murgon has been busy recently helping to facilitate donations to families affected by the drought. A chance conversation about the weather and the drought at thelocal markets resulted in the donation of a load of hay from the son of a Rotary member to go to a family who live at Loomberah, south of Tamworth. Murgon Club President, Heath Sander,
contacted Brian Egan of Aussie Helpers, who offered to organise the transport. Heath then phoned several connections in the Tamworth area, including the District Governor and Rotary clubs to organise the unloading and smoko. Following media coverage of the hay donation, two local organisations contacted the Murgon club entrusting the club to facilitate getting their donations quickly to Queensland families who really needed it.
After some research and phone calls with the Rev. Jenny Coombes of the Uniting Church in Longreach (previously of Murgon), who is a member of the Western Queensland Drought Appeal; with Damian Arthur, Treasurer of the Rotary Club of Longreach, also on the WQDA committee, and with Phillip Charles, PDG of District 9630, District Drought Committee Chair, representing the clubs in Roma, Charleville, Mitchell and St George who are on the front line of drought relief, the Murgon Club made the decision to distribute the donations between the three organisations to support their ‘on the ground’ efforts.
The Longreach Rotary Club has been working on drought relief for the last 6 years. 
They work in with the committee of the Western Qld Drought Appeal and also try to ‘plug the gaps’. Their immediate focus is to help communities get through the current drought conditions. To do this, some of their key drought related activities are:
They work in with the committee of the Western Qld Drought Appeal and also try to ‘plug the gaps’. Their immediate focus is to help communities get through the current drought conditions. To do this, some of their key drought related activities are:• Confidential cash drops where drought is made even worse through personal circumstances
• Movie/BBQ Trailer events in the paddock to bring local families together for a night. They travel to remote towns and properties for this.
• Free movies through the Longreach Star Cinema, to bring local families together, provide safe socialisation for local youth and for hard-working volunteers
• Delivering Christmas hams to the smaller townships in the district
• Cooking community BBQs to allow everyone in smaller communities to come together and reconnect
• Providing free Q Fever vaccine, as this debilitating disease which affects rural workers is expensive to prevent and not subsidised through health programs
• Supporting youth to attend sporting and other camps
• Supporting local events for community cohesion (e.g. shows and fishing competitions)
• Supporting Beds for Bush Kids and other school-based programs
• Trucking drinking water to households which are close to running out
• Trialling welding upskilling days to bring ‘the blokes’ together
• Movie/BBQ Trailer events in the paddock to bring local families together for a night. They travel to remote towns and properties for this.
• Free movies through the Longreach Star Cinema, to bring local families together, provide safe socialisation for local youth and for hard-working volunteers
• Delivering Christmas hams to the smaller townships in the district
• Cooking community BBQs to allow everyone in smaller communities to come together and reconnect
• Providing free Q Fever vaccine, as this debilitating disease which affects rural workers is expensive to prevent and not subsidised through health programs
• Supporting youth to attend sporting and other camps
• Supporting local events for community cohesion (e.g. shows and fishing competitions)
• Supporting Beds for Bush Kids and other school-based programs
• Trucking drinking water to households which are close to running out
• Trialling welding upskilling days to bring ‘the blokes’ together
They advise that while people generally associate drought with only the rural sector, the reality is that drought has engulfed the entire community. Towns and businesses are suffering from
decreased cash flow and business turnover and the knock-on effects of decreased employment causes people to pack up and leave and most never return.
decreased cash flow and business turnover and the knock-on effects of decreased employment causes people to pack up and leave and most never return.
The Clubs from Charleville, Mitchell, Roma and St George in Rotary District 9630 Drought Appeal work on a similar basis and also emphasise that the drought affects the whole community. They have a voucher system for struggling families, arrange Family Social Days, and a Rotary Reading Assistance Program for young children. They also take a ‘whole of community’ approach and their vouchers are used in local businesses. They regularly travel to small, remote towns to run Family Days with BBQs, drinks, social and wellbeing activities. They said people such as hairdressers and massage therapists will often travel long distances to join them in places where those services don’t exist and donate their time for hours and hours. They have also had bush poets join them to provide some entertainment.
