Wind farm’s Father Christmas leads workers’ toy drive

A SANTA of a different kind has been busy in Rokewood as Christmas approaches, decked out in high-visibility work gear and a hard hat at the Golden Plains Wind Farm just out of town.

This Santa’s name is Paul Morton, the health, safety and environmental adviser for the wind farm’s builder, Vestas.

Mr Morton, of Queensland, has been the driving force behind a six-week-long toy drive in the lead-up to Christmas in which people working on the site have contributed either gifts or cash to be spent on toys for distribution to children identified as being in need throughout the district.

The drive has resulted in a small mountain of gifts of all kinds, which Mr Morton estimates as being worth almost $10,000. They are being distributed out of the Hesse Rural Health community health centre in the township.

The collection includes toys and dolls, books, footballs and other sports gear, puzzles, art sets, and even three bicycles.

More than 200 workers from the wind farm’s construction and operations teams were involved in the drive.

Mr Morton travels around the nation advising on health and safety and environmental factors on major construction projects, and said he had organised about 12 toy drives at work sites.

“I’ve been doing it on and off for 20 years,” he said. “I buy $200 worth of toys and put them on the table…and I say, this is what I’m doing, are you coming along for the journey?

Mr Morton described the wind farm workers’ response as “outstanding.”

“There are two options: they can go and buy some toys if they can see their way clear, no (specific) value, 0 to 16, (for) boys or girls,” he said.

“That’s the window I like to cater for.”

But Mr Morton said that, given the long hours worked by people at the Rokewood site, some may not be able to go shopping themselves so he puts a money jar on his desk.

“If they want to buy toys they can do that, and if they can’t they can put money in the jar and I turn that into toys,” he said.

At the start of the Rokewood drive, Mr Morton engaged farm owner Tag Energy’s community relations team to “put the feelers out” for where donated toys could be distributed.

A number of organisations have signed up to distribute the gifts, including the Golden Plains Shire Council’s maternal and child health team and local schools.

Those organisations will determine who will receive the presents and will have them wrapped before they are sent out for Christmas.

When asked why he organises the toy drive wherever he goes and wherever it is possible, Mr Morton said, “Because I can.”