It goes without saying, volunteers are a selfless lot.
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How would the country continue to exist without these generous men and woman who donate their time to all types of organisations.
In many instances they provide their own vehicles and use their own fuel, without hesitation.
During last year's bushfires the area certainly would not have survived without the hoards of RFS and SES volunteers who put in days, weeks, and sometimes months to keep the red steer from our back door.
While four months have passed since the last big fire was doused, the clean-up continues, and will carry on for many months and years to come.
To assist in the on-going clean-up Tuncurry vehicle dealership, Great Lakes Nissan has loaned six new Nissan Navara N-trek 4WD dual cab vehicles to local volunteers organisations, FAWNA, BlazeAid and Rotary Forster-Old Bar.
The vehicles are for use during the bushfire relief period and on loan for 12 months or until they reach the 10,000 kilometre mark.
"Many volunteers involved in the groups don't have access to a 4WD vehicle or a vehicle with a towbar," Great Lakes Nissan owner/dealer, Chris Eschler said.
Many volunteers involved in the groups don't have access to a 4WD vehicle or a vehicle with a towbar.
- Chris Eschler
"A towbar is a necessity in this area."
"Isn't this wonderful," FAWNA (Australian Wildlife Needing Aid) president, Meridith Ryan said.
Ms Ryan said the vehicles had been used extensively during its successful Food4Wildlife program, which distributed macropod pellets and wild bird seed to various locations around the MidCoast and Hastings LGAs.
The fires caused significant loss to wildlife populations and destroyed what little food resources remained as a result of the long, hot dry spell.
"I think we will get to the 10,000km before the 12 month mark," Mrs Ryan said.
"FAWNA is very grateful that our volunteers were saved the cost of using their own vehicles," she said.
"This was a fabulously generous response to a situation created by the bushfires."
Nissen also threw in fuel, a cost which saved volunteers close to $400 a month, along with regular services.
"It has been the most marvelous program, and the public concern for the wildlife suffering through the drought and fires has been overwhelming."
While the Department of Primary Industries has downgraded the Mid Coast LGA drought status from intense to drought and drought affected, and as feed begins to bounce back, the need for macropod pellets has slowed
However, Ms Ryan believed it would be a long time before FAWNA could reduce the distribution of birdseed.
"Birds have been severely affected."
In the seven months since July FAWNA has spent more than $42,000 on animal feed.
Blaze Aid camp co-ordinators, Ian Hoy and John Male described the donation of vehicles as a Godsend.
The group has had close to 800 volunteers register to assist during the rebuild of about 470 properties which stretch from Nabiac to Mt George and out to Boben.
"We had volunteers up this way who can (now) get out on properties that we would not otherwise have be able to," Mr Hoy said.
He explained not all volunteers had access to 4WD or vehicles that were suitable for local terrain.
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"We would have had to turn volunteers away if we didn't have the use of these two vehicles."
Some volunteers worked for a day, while others stayed for up to a week, Mr Hoy said.
BlazeAid is a volunteer-based organisation that works with families and individuals in rural Australia after natural disasters such as fires and floods.
He said the mileage on both vehicles was quickly pushing towards the 10,000km mark.
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