Walcha Community Support Day

The Northern Daily Leader

Walcha rallies with Community Support Day after demolition derby tragedy.

Transcript

00:00Today is a community day to offer support and enable people in our community to come

00:12out and talk about the cumulative effects of the road closures, the res zone and then

00:19the accident that happened on Saturday.

00:22Because people are, well, they're tough and they're gritty here, they don't often put

00:26up their hand for help and so what we're doing is trying to bring the help to them

00:29and offer some support.

00:30So we can do onsite, we've also got Farmgate, our Farmgate clinician here who's a mental

00:43health social worker doing onsite counselling and then referrals to ongoing support as well

00:49as needed.

00:50A lot of people are saying that they saw the storm coming and so there were quite a few

00:56people that did leave prior to the accident.

00:59But, yeah, the community is kind of banding together and that's what rural communities

01:05do now.

01:06I looked over my back veranda which sees the oval.

01:10I've got to tell you that I very rarely, I roll with the punches, it's been a hard life

01:14so I'm a bit used to it.

01:16But seeing six ambulances down there and watching the helicopters have to jockey to get people

01:24out in their priorities right through to I think about 11 o'clock was the end of what

01:28happened down in the Oxley Oval.

01:30It took my breath away a little bit, it made me feel sad and I can only imagine that it

01:36has saddened a lot of people whether they be local or not.

01:40This town is great for loving and respecting humanity no matter where you're from.

01:44The main thing is at Wolka, you know, we did everything we possibly could, not only the

01:53Wolka community but the motorcycle rally community.

01:56Like people just got in and done what they had to do and I'm sure it was pouring rain

02:00if anyone was aware of that.

02:02But people just, you know, I physically just held onto a tarpaulin with another lady over

02:07the top of an injured person for an hour in the pouring rain so that she could be treated.

02:11Everything went smoothly, all the patients were triaged and various hospitals.

02:15I think there's only two people still in hospital with some serious injuries but they will recover.

02:19So, yeah, we just, you know, we're very blessed.

02:21It could have been a hell of a lot worse.

02:23That's sort of, you know, there's a little bit of rain just 30 seconds before the actual impact

02:27and so people have moved away from the fence and the grandstands.

02:30So it could have been a hell of a lot worse.

02:32So, yeah, there's a few blessings in all that but mainly here's Wolka, it's just, you know,

02:37we've got to keep looking at the positives and that's very important for mental health as well.

02:40As well.

02:41Sorry.

02:42.

02:43.

02:44.

02:45.

02:58.

03:00.

03:01.

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