State Member for Barwon Roy Butler has wrapped up a 1,300km fundraiser for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), arriving in Broken Hill on Friday after a three-day motorbike journey from Sydney.
Mr Butler said the RFDS has been a lifeline for people in outback and regional NSW for more than 90 years, delivering critical healthcare to some of the state’s most remote communities.
“The RFDS does fantastic work in Barwon, and more widely across the West and Far West of NSW—building infrastructure, recruiting staff and reaching the most isolated corners of our state,” he said.
“They do it extraordinarily well, transforming health outcomes for the communities I call home.”
The ride brought Mr Butler through Cobar on Thursday afternoon, where he stayed overnight before continuing on to Broken Hill, with planned stops in Emmdale and Wilcannia.
Travelling with his group was an RFDS aircraft fuselage, which gave locals a chance to step inside and learn more about the service and Mr Butler was towing an RFDS corflute sign which he was getting people to sign along the way.
The sign was presented to the RFDS in Broken Hill and will be displayed as part of their 90 years celebrations later this month.
Mr Butler said the reception along the route, from Sydney through to the Far West, had been overwhelmingly positive.
“It’s hard to find anyone out here who hasn’t been directly impacted by the RFDS, or knows someone who has,” he said.
Mr Butler has received donations along the way and as of the time of writing this article, his tally was close to $4,000.
One of his donors said: “Everyone deserves accessible healthcare wherever they live”; another commented: “The RFDS are very dear to our hearts having saved our son many moons ago (and retrieved my husband a few times)”; while another was extremely grateful the RFDS had saved her and her baby son’s lives.
“In some communities, without the RFDS, there simply wouldn’t be access to essential medical services,” Mr Butler said.
“I’m rediscovering about distance on a motorbike at the moment,” he joked.
While the road trip was mostly smooth, there was however one tense moment when a trailer being towed behind Mr Butler’s bike became detached.
“It’s a very disconcerting thing when you see in your rear-view mirror the trailer heading somewhere else and not following you,” he said.
Mr Butler said after helping to secure $15 million in government support last year, he’s hopeful that their request for the same amount will be granted this year.
To make a donation, go to: https://se.doyourthing.org.au/fundraisers/
