It hasn’t been an easy week once again for many across our fire and drought ravaged state, and while it’s easy for emotional buckets to fill with sadness and frustration, I wanted to share with you some positive news stories in the hope it’ll put a smile on your face.
On the Sunshine Coast, working alongside council staff turned firefighting volunteers, is a dog that has received some well-deserved attention this week. Bear is a border collie-koolie cross who is saving endangered animals as a koala detector.
Bear sniffs out injured, sick and orphaned koalas – tracking them down using the smell of their faeces and fur. It’s a terrific yarn which featured in The Brisbane Times this week.
Bear was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, (who would’ve thought it), and while that meant he wasn’t a good pet because he didn’t want to play, the condition made him a cracker detection dog.
Check out his protective socks!
Then there’s been the groundswell of school children in cities across Queensland rallying to help country kids in the bush with stationery drives, recycling collections, discos, and other fundraisers.
Many in our local government ranks have left their posts temporarily to take up volunteer positions to support fire brigades and community groups.
It’s a reminder to us all - there are a lot of people going above and beyond the call of duty.
For those of us not on the frontline, but supporting where we can, we should remember some simple but important points -
Kindness costs nothing.
A smile costs nothing.
It just may be all our battle-weary friends need - to get them through another afternoon fighting fires.
Lastly – I wanted to share with you this positive story from Boulia.
The community has unveiled the longest mural in Western Queensland, Painted by award winning artist Joel Fergie and associates the ‘Brightsiders’ it depicts the legend of the Min Min light story in the region.
The town is turning a bright spotlight on its future, thinking outside the square and marketing a new tourism attraction.
It’s this spirit and resilience which ensures a drought-stricken town like Boulia keeps its head up in times of hardship, while we do everything we can to have their back.
That is what local government is all about – locals helping locals and mates helping mates.
Take care everyone.