Andrew Gee (Calare, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 18 February 2017, the Cudgegong Cruisers together with the Mudgee Lions Club held a community gathering for all Rural Fire Service personnel and anyone associated with the recent firefighting efforts in the region. I was honoured to be part of that event.

RFS volunteers from Mudgee, the surrounding areas and around the state have been kept very busy over the last few weeks, lending support and assistance to neighbouring communities and brigades, including fires at Sir Ivan, Kains Flat, Castlereagh Highway at Tallawang, Maitland Bar South and Maitland Bar Road, Merotherie Road and Campbells Creek Road at Windeyer. The Cudgegong Cruisers and Mudgee Lions arranged the gathering to say thank you to our hardworking RFS volunteers.

The Cudgegong Cruisers is a family-oriented association of keen car and bike enthusiasts based in the Mudgee district. They played an important role in organising this event, and I would like to make mention of Glenn Box, Gary and Linda Goodman, John and Cheryl Stuart, John and Sue Hodges, Jim and Luene Cottee, Suzie and Peter Schmidt and Tony Riley. I must also make mention of the mighty Mudgee Lions Club, including Leah McMurtrie, Darren McMurtrie, Bailey McMurtrie, Heather and Geoff Priester, Jenny Roberts, Carolyn Sheen and Tom Cook.

On the day, $1,360 was raised, which will be donated to the RFS in New South Wales. Thank you to the Cudgegong Cruisers and Mudgee Lions Club but, most importantly, thank you to all of our RFS volunteers, who came from all over New South Wales to help our region deal with this extremely serious fire emergency.