GURLEY Rural Fire Brigade has received funding through the GrainCorp Community Foundation, which will this year award more than $300,000 to 28 grassroots organisations across eastern Australia.
Gurley Rural Fire Brigade received $7500 to future-proof the Gurley water supply, and used the grant to purchase a second water tank to more than double the village’s supply.
Two weeks before Christmas last year, residents and firefighters tried heroically to save the Royal Hotel at Gurley.
The historic building – the hub of the village – was completely destroyed by fire and fire-fighting resources were stretched to the absolute limit.
Gurley Rural Fire Service captain, Brendan Munn, said the second tank has more than doubled Gurley’s supply of water when needed during an emergency.
“We had a 25,000-litre tank supplied by NSW RFS last year to give us an extra supply of water, with quicker filling to fire truck,” Mr Munn said.
“Water is very slow out of the hydrant, but now, using the pump on the truck and filling up from the tank, is much quicker.
“Before we got these tanks, we were filling straight from the hydrant, and that took way too long – it took up to 25 minutes to fill a tank, but now we can do that in about 10 minutes.
“When we had the pub fire, we quickly ran the village dry, even though we had a 25,000-litre tank full and ready.
“Our truck was full, and we had trucks come from Moree, but in no time, we ran out of local water – we went through about 160,000 litres of water,” he said.
Mr Munn said a second tank had been on Gurley Rural Fire Service’s wish-list, and Graincorp answered the call through its Community Foundation grants scheme.
“We had the idea for a second tank, so we applied for grant funding through GrainCorp, and were lucky enough to get $7500,” Mr Munn said.
“With that funding, thanks to GrainCorp, we were able to buy a 32,000-litre tank. This nearly gives us an extra 60,000 litres on-site in two tanks, which is the same as what the storage hold is for Gurley.
“The tanks are plumbed so two trucks can fill up at once. The hydrant is on a float and automatic, and the trucks can drive away while they’re being filled.
Mr Munn said having two tanks on-site now made the facility dual-purpose.
“If the village water supply happens to fail, we’ll have 60,000 litres of water we can pump straight through our truck into the water supply so Gurley has got water,” Mr Munn said.
“This second tank is not only helping fire-fighters with extra water and a quicker supply, but also provides a good back-up supply for the village.
“Strategically, this will work a whole lot better for us, and we would not have been able to do it without the help of GrainCorp.
“A little bush fire brigade like Gurley, would simply no have been able to afford it – we owe a big thank-you to GrainCorp,” he smiled.
GrainCorp Gurley site manager Pete Davidson said Gurley’s water supply in times of emergencies was now future-proofed.
“Due to the fire when we lost the hotel at Gurley, we realised the need for extra water in the village, especially for fires,” Mr Davidson said.
“Graincorp was approached by the Gurley Rural Fire Brigade, who applied for funding through our grant system.
“We encouraged them to express interest and lodge an application, and our Graincorp site at Gurley supported their application.
“The grant came through, which is good for the village as well as the local district. Water is always a scarce commodity, especially when there are fires and it’s needed most,” Mr Davidson said.
NSW Rural Fire Services Moree operational officer, Renee McMillan, said the extra water tank is a huge relief to resources in Gurley.
“We had six RFS trucks filling up from Gurley, as well as a fire and rescue truck, when the hotel fire occurred,” she said.
“We ran out of water too quickly, and this extra tank will help boost enormously what we can do in the village.”
GrainCorp’s community engagement manager, Kyle Docherty, said rural communities like Gurley and Mungindi are creating real change – and GrainCorp is proud to be part of their journey.
“These grassroots organisations are led by everyday people doing inspiring things for their communities,” Mr Docherty said.
“They know what matters most to their towns – because they live it every day. Whether it’s improving local facilities, supporting mental health, or creating spaces and experiences where people feel connected and included, their work is incredibly impactful.
“It’s a real privilege for us at GrainCorp to back them and help bring their vision to life.”
