The unit, which is now on the road, features a new truck, and with the dedication and creativity of local volunteers the back of the unit has been “recycled” from the previous rescue unit, refitted and installed, in their own time.

SES Oxley Region controller Peter Floyd was in Gloucester recently to inspect the new unit and to acknowledge the role played by Gloucester Shire Council in getting the vehicle on the road.

Mr Floyd presented council with a certificate of appreciation and a cheque for $38,500, funds council had provided to the SES to help purchase the vehicle.

Council currently provided approximately $10,000 per year towards the SES’s operational costs.

Mr Floyd paid tribute to the proud tradition the SES plays in the local district and the need to provide volunteers with the best possible equipment where possible.

He said in the next 12 months he has applied for some $600,000 in funding for the Oxley region to begin a changeover program for vehicles in the SES fleet.