DEFENCE MEDIA ALERT

 

 

CPA - NSW 031/05                                                                                           Friday, 31 March 2006

 

ARMY TO BUILD FENCES AT ILLABO

 

What:           Wagga Wagga soldiers help Illabo farmers rebuild fences

 

Where:         ‘Nunlong’

                     Allawah Road, Illabo (near Junee)

 

When:          10.00am – Monday, 3 April 2006

 

 

Soldiers from the Army Recruit Training Centre at Kapooka will assist farmers at Illabo to recover from the devastating New Years Day bushfires by helping them to rebuild fences.

 

The blaze burnt out over 24,000 hectares and locals sustained damage to stock, property and fencing.

 

Commandant of the Army Recruit Training Centre, Colonel Simone Wilkie, said in addition to providing the manpower to assist in rebuilding, Kapooka will donate $4,000 raised by the soldiers and their families to assist in the recovery of the Illabo community.

 

 “Soldiers like to help their local community whenever they can, we hope that this money and man-power will help the Illabo community to make a full recovery from what was a devastating event,” COL Wilkie said.

 

 

COL Wilkie will present a cheque to the co-ordinator of the recovery effort, local farmer Mr Bill Muller.

 

Captain Pip Cleary will meet media at the intersection of the Olympic Highway and Brabins Road at 10.00am and escort them to Mr Muller’s farm. Maps to the farm are available on request.

 

 

Media Contacts:

Captain Pip Cleary                    Army Recruit Training Centre    (02) 6933 8313 or 0429 202453

Captain Brendan Maxwell          Training Command – Army        (02) 9339 2544 or 0417 667500

Raveena Carroll                        Defence Public Affairs – NSW  (02) 9359 2787 or 0405 310176