Spruce up for SES shed

LOCAL State Emergency Service (SES) personnel are set to benefit from a $20,000 upgrade to the Cannonvale SES shed, made possible through funding from Council and the Queensland Government.

Mayor Jennifer Whitney inspected the completed refurbishments last week, saying they had made the shed safer and more comfortable for the SES volunteers “who give up their valuable time to deliver vital services to our community”.

“The local SES volunteers do a fantastic job helping to keep our local community safe, especially in disaster events [so] it’s great the state and local governments can give back to these volunteers by improving their SES shed,” she said.

Included in the upgrade was a fresh coat of paint, a new air-conditioned kitchenette and the installation of new handrails on a $3000 pre-fabricated stairwell to the mezzanine level, donated by the Airlie Beach Fire Station.

Cr Whitney said hopefully now the facility would enable the local SES to attract more volunteers “and train them up to the level necessary”.

Officer in Charge at the Cannonvale SES, Mark Connors, said once the current response to Cyclone Marcia was over “and if the weather is kind to us, we will begin a recruitment drive with a focus on the beach area”.

“SES members, supported by the Whitsunday Regional Council responded to [the] Rockhampton and Livingston Shires even before the cyclone hit and we still have a presence there,” he said.

“It is these kinds of dedicated members we will be seeking in the near future to join our team at the Cannonvale shed.”

Mr Connors said the refurbishment would definitely mean a more comfortable environment for members to train in and he thanked Council and Whitsunday Disaster Management Co-ordinator Scott Tellegen, “for giving us a more presentable headquarters to train and operate out of”.