Water to Walgett organiser Maree Glohe will brave another five-hour trip through dusty, dry, flat country in the next two weeks to deliver another trailer-load of water to the northern NSW town, but says more needs to be done that what donations can do.
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Walgett had its bore water supply knocked out of action just after Christmas, and while it’s back up and running, water is few and far between for the town.
Through Facebook Ms Glohe organised a donation drive and a trailer to take water up to Walgett in early January.
It’s dribs and drabs… it’s nowhere near enough.
- Water to Walgett organiser Maree Glohe
She – along with Tania Hodgkinson – were collecting water at Robertson Park on Saturday morning and will do the same next Saturday from 9am to 2pm before driving to Dubbo and collecting donations there.
While Ms Glohe said the water was “awesome” and the appreciation from those in Walgett was “unbelievable”, they simply couldn’t solve the problem through donations.
“They need more help than what the communities are doing. The government needs to pull their heads in and help these people out,” she said.
“[Donations] don’t solve their problems. One of those containers it only lasts a family one day.
“It’s dribs and drabs… it’s nowhere near enough.”
She thanked everyone in Orange who had donated, with some coming back for the second time and some first-time donors on Saturday, and encouraged anyone who could to give what bottled water they could.
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