WITH a wealth of projects to be done around town, the Smythesdale Progress Association is looking for volunteers to lend a helping hand.<\/p>\n
The group is run solely on volunteer work and Dennis Ross, former president of SPA, said the current recruitment drive for more people is primarily due to their work at the Woady Yaloak River.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are short of volunteers, especially with what we\u2019re doing down there at the river,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a real hands-on sort of thing that the Shire and DWELP just haven\u2019t done, so we\u2019re getting down and getting dirty doing it ourselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s totally overgrown with gorse, blackberry and hawthorn. You can walk along the river between Whites Road and Snake Valley Road, and you won\u2019t even see water. It\u2019s just infested.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the river is SPA\u2019s current priority, volunteers are also needed for gardening work at Brewery Dam and the community gardens, as well as a tree planting session later in the month to build koala habitats.<\/p>\n
For over three years, the group has been registered with the Department of Health and Human Services to be paired with jobseekers looking for volunteer work.<\/p>\n
Mr Ross said the group hasn\u2019t seen many since signing up with the jobseeker program, and that at least eight extra people are wanted for the river maintenance alone.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s two of us spending about 30 hours a week down in the river. We need to see it through before it gets too wet to work there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re trying to open the creek up so people can use it as part of their morning walks, or just to enjoy it as is. It\u2019s something that needs to be looked after.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot to be done around town, but with only half a dozen workers around, we can\u2019t get much done.\u201d<\/p>\n
To volunteer, call Mr Ross on 0418 503 938 or SPA\u2019s secretary and treasurer Bill MacNeil on 0409 145 267.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WITH a wealth of projects to be done around town, the Smythesdale Progress Association is looking for volunteers to lend a helping hand. The group is run solely on volunteer work and Dennis Ross, former president of SPA, said the current recruitment drive for more people is primarily due to their work at the Woady […]<\/p>\n