Outback Links Kiah

In May 2024, a team of NRMA volunteers visited the small town of Kiah in NSW near Eden, as part of Frontier Service's volunteer Outback Links program.

Side view of a man standing in front of his fixer upper buggy smiling.

Small communities, when devastated by natural disasters or global pandemics, can find it difficult to recover. The Outback Links program gives us a chance to give back to small communities who can utlise the help of everyday people to get back on their feet.

James Simmons, Senior Advisor for Community at the NRMA, recounts the days spent in these communities.

A man standing in front of a two-storey house which has murals painted on it.

Ariel view of a few sheds on top of a mountain.

Three women standing beside an NRMA van and smiling.

Side view of a man driving an old forklift on a dirt patch.

Two men talking whilst standing amongs several farm trackters.

A group of volunteers standing in a row in front of a backdrop of a line of NRMA vans.

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Outback Links Kiah: Day 1

Always an exciting day, but always filled with a little bit of trepidation for our enthusiastic volunteers. They kind of know what they are in for, but sometimes there are surprises in what lies ahead. I hadn't visited one of the properties previously (a rep from Frontier had been out) so I wasn't 100% sure what was involved. Turns out a lot more then we thought.

In saying that, our volunteers took it all in their stride and away they went. We are fortunate to have such a great group of people that volunteer for any Outback Links trip. It is always 'head down and get on with it until it is done'!

As always, when energy levels are high, a lot of work gets done on the first day. Of the properties I visited today, we managed to get a ride-on mower working that hadn't run for a while—the property owner was very pleased!

A team of volunteers also got stuck into a very overgrown garden to bring it back to life. They made great inroads, but there was still a lot more to do, and we have a tough job ahead of making very specific garden beds out of concrete blocks. It can be a tough gig, but one of the team with expert concreting skills came to help in the afternoon.

Today we also serviced a ute, fixed a motorbike, and repaired bearings on a trailer. Tomorrow I will visit the other properties to check on the rest of the team.

It’s been nothing short of a miracle what you guys have done for us. Unbelievable, especially 4 years after the fire, I didn’t expect anything like this. It’s like Jesus being pulled from the sky. Unbelievable thank you so much.

— Jesse, a Kiah farmer

Outback Links Kiah: Day 2

At the start of day 2, everyone is keen and ready to get out to the properties. They are all happy I am not bugging them to take a group photo; they just want to get out and work.

The property owners are all very happy to see the team come back out again, and the work begins. We got through a mountain of mechanical work, including two tractors, two 4WD’s, and a forklift.

The team is back working the garden beds again, while others are on the tools servicing and repairing equipment. There is still lots of work to do tomorrow, and the list does tend to grow once the owners see how much the team can get through in a day.

Parts were supplied at a heavily reduced price by Burson Auto Parts in Five Dock and we are working with our community partner, Frontier Services. who sources the properties for us.

Two women, wearing blue, holding tools and smiling.

Two smiley men changing a tyre on a white ute.

Two men smiling while working on fixing a vehicle.

A man wearing blue overalls and a grey cap, fixing a tracktor engine.

Two NRMA vans parked in a carpark overlooking a body of water.

Two women wearing blue shirts and sunglasses and smiling at the camera

Three Jack Russels and a Corgi standing in the back of a black ute.

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Outback Links Kiah: Day 3

Today is the final day on the properties. The team has done an amazing job. I am pretty sure I say this after every trip, but sorry folks, it is true. The number of tasks that everyone gets through is incredible.

A small list will slowly grow during the week, and as the team keep moving through the tasks, you can see how incredibly happy the property owners are—a huge weight being lifted off their shoulders.

From being involved in these trips in one capacity or another for the past ten years, I can see it is natural disasters—or any sort of disaster—that are really hard on the families and community. There just seems to be one thing after another, and the bureaucracy of it all is some of the hardest pieces of the rebuilding puzzle that people find.

Our people come together and spend a few days with the community and hope to bring them a bit of light in what can be a long and dark tunnel. It is rewarding and yet frustrating that there is only so much we are able to do. The smiles, laughter, and talk during the week is what makes it all so worthwhile.

Sincere thanks to everyone who has ever volunteered on an Outback Links trip—you all know what I am talking about! Thanks also to our community partner, Frontier Services, for organising the properties for us to help with and Store Manager Walid at Burson Auto Parts in Five Dock for once again providing the heavily discounted parts.

Travel safe, travel often, and don't forget to visit our regional friends.

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