QHA-Review_August_Digital

NEWS
DISASTER RELIEF AUSTRALIA
WINS HEARTS AND AWARDS
QHA REVIEW | 6
KENO STANDS BEHIND AWARD-WINNING,
NOT-FOR-PROFIT DISASTER RELIEF AUSTRALIA,
OFFERING A LIFELINE TO DEVASTATED QUEENSLAND
COMMUNITIES.
When the murky, lethal flood waters in the remote
town of Burketown in the Gulf of Carpentaria swelled
in March 2023, the sheer devastation to homes,
properties and businesses was nothing short of
catastrophic.
A month after the torrent abated, depositing walls of
putrid mud and wreckage in its wake and leaving a
community in despair, Disaster Relief Australia (DRA)
was called upon by local and state government to lend
a hand.
Properties and infrastructure in the community were
significantly damaged in the disaster, and access to
affected areas proved challenging for recovery efforts.
DRA’s Operation Carrington in far North Western
Queensland, their most remote location to date,
saw the deployment of a small team of skilled and
experienced volunteers who had the expertise
and stamina to operate in Gulf Country’s arduous
conditions.
The 14-strong team travelled 2,145 by road from
Brisbane and 1,061km from Townsville to reach the
community, working almost 2,000 hours to clear debris
and repair flood-damaged properties.
DRA chief executive officer, Geoff Evans, said rural
and regional areas are disproportionately impacted by
disasters, as many are older, less well-off and often
uninsured.
“When we turn up to help a community, it’s not
uncommon to find that in house after house everything
is destroyed. It is very confronting to see people lose
everything they have; they are just so overwhelmed.
“We help them take the first step in their recovery. They
can see a glimmer of hope and, in the course of one
day’s work, it can turn someone’s life around – both
the community members and the volunteers helping
them.”
Operation Riordan was just one of numerous lifechanging
operations for the independent not-for-profit,
which rapidly deploys volunteer teams to provide relief
to disaster-impacted communities in the wake of largescale
disasters.
Since its founding in 2016, DRA has deployed teams
on more than 50 disaster relief operations across
Australia and around the world and assisted more than
200 communities in their recovery.
Between March and May 2022, DRA undertook
another flood recovery exercise, Operation Kelliher,
in response to catastrophic flooding in Moreton Bay,
deploying 714 volunteers who worked almost 26,000
hours to complete 526 jobs.
Now, thanks in part to the support of Keno, DRA
can deploy more relief teams to aid hundreds
more disaster-impacted Aussies. On 5 June, Keno
announced it would provide a $200,000 donation to
DRA.
The funding is the second instalment of $200,000 over
two years, taking Keno’s total financial backing to date
to $600,000.
The significance of DRA’s work has been
acknowledged at the highest level nationally. It was
recognised for Outstanding Achievement in the 2022
Australian Charity Awards – which was the third
consecutive year it has received an award in this
category.
“This is an acknowledgement and validation of the
work our volunteers do on the ground.
“We do win awards, but it’s not just for shovelling mud.
We combine modern battlefield methodologies with
disaster relief best practice, and we are leading the
field in many areas,” Geoff said.
To find out more about DRA and volunteering, visit
their website at disasterreliefaus.org.