Volunteer army welcomed back with open arms
In July, RACQ Foundation volunteers descended on the First Nations community of Yarrabah, in far North Queensland to lend a hand on local projects and learn more about the oldest living culture on the planet.
Sitting on the coast south east of Cairns, this small community is home to the Gunggandji and Yidinji people and has a population of around 2,5001.
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As sea surface temperatures rise, the potential destructiveness of tropical cyclones off the coast of Queensland is only increasing2 making it more important than ever to build stronger, more resilient communities.
This is even more vital in remote areas which can easily become isolated from essential supplies and food during severe weather events.
RACQ General Manager Advocacy Joshua Cooney said returning to Yarrabah was a first for the Foundation.
“It’s been an amazing week back in Yarrabah for the RACQ Foundation, and we’ve been overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity shown to us during our second visit to the region,” Mr Cooney said.
“We made wonderful connections in Yarrabah last time, so being able to contribute to resilience building while also learning more about their culture has been fantastic.
“We come here to make an impact in the community, but we also come here for the community to have an impact on us.”
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Since 2011, the RACQ Foundation has been helping communities recover from natural disasters and has more recently had an increase focus on disaster resilience building.
Through its Community Assistance Projects, RACQ Foundation intends to support small communities, like Yarrabah with their long-term resilience initiatives.
During their latest visit, volunteers spent time at Yarrabah Elders hub garden working on re-turfing and revegetation to help absorb potential run-off and established a new Tucker Garden at the Yarrabah Men’s shed which will support food resilience in the wake of a natural disaster.
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Brian Connolly, from the Yarrabah Men’s Shed is a proud Kuku Yalanji man who returned home to Yarrabah 28 years ago after spending his younger years in Oenpelli, Palm Island and Cherbourg, and said the community have established lifelong connections throughout the week.
“It’s been a pleasure having RACQ Foundation here this week doing almost a year’s worth of work in the community,” he said.
“I didn’t know these volunteers from RACQ Foundation at the start of this week, but I feel like I’m now saying goodbye to family members.”
This project also formed a key part of RACQ’s commitment to reconciliation as volunteers spent time participating in cultural workshops and learning more about the Gunggandji and Yidinji people.
RACQ volunteers also helped beautify Bishop Malcolm Park, working with the community on a large cultural mural on the stage platform. They also had the opportunity to attend cultural performances, including a didgeridoo performance by Nathan Mundraby and to participate in art sessions facilitated by the Cherbourg Ration Shed Museum.
Learn more about RACQ Foundation.
1Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Yarrabah All persons QuickStats. https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/LGA37600
2Climate Council. (October 9, 2024). State of Queensland: Disaster Ground Zero. https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/state-of-queensland-disaster-ground-zero/
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