By Jess Baker
Granite Belt Water Relief, a charity that served several hundred families on the Granite Belt and Southern Downs during 18 months of relentless drought, has now closed its doors.
The cessation of the non-profit organisation came after heavy – and long overdue – rainfall refilled Stanthorpe’s Storm King Dam and rural residents’ domestic tanks in March this year.
Co-founder of the charity Russell Wantling said the charity supported nearly 500 families since it was registered in July 2019, giving out up to 380,000 litres of stock and drinking water per week.
Each week, in addition to 1000 litres of water, residents of the Granite Belt and Southern Downs could collect groceries, stock feed, clothes, and other essential items from the charity’s water shed.
Cottonvale man Jake Munn said he, his wife and their three kids would forever be grateful for Granite Belt Water Relief and the efforts of its many volunteers.
“The (amount of) water and pods I got off them just to feed our house and our stock, let alone the amount of water and food hampers for us … We wouldn’t be here today – I don’t know where we would be – if it wasn’t for them,” Jake said.
“We wouldn’t have any of the horses for the kids. We wouldn’t even have a home I don’t think, quite honestly.”
Jake said he and his family reduced their water consumption as much as possible, but they had horses, chickens, dogs, cats and themselves to look after.
For a long time, the future looked grim.
But today, thanks to the charity and this year’s rain, the Munns’ water supply is now secure.
“They’re angels – a godsend,” Jake said of Granite Belt Water Relief founders Russell and Samantha Wantling.
Jake said that while the drought represented a difficult time in the lives of many Granite Belt residents, the charity eased the burden.
“As much as it was a hassle to actually do the transit of the water, it was always great to go in there and have a yarn or a chat,” he said.
“And every now and then the Lions Club would be there for a sausage sizzle. It was amazing.”
Granite Belt resident and mother-of-four Mel Woods said she too feared she might lose everything before accessing the charity’s support and services.
“We had no dam water, no nothing really. It was pretty horrible,” Mel said.
“We were all so depressed. It was bad. Just to know that service was there, it really meant a lot to everyone.”
Mel said the experience was still so raw it brought tears to her eyes.
“It was not just water they were there for, but for counselling and comradery as well,” she said.
Mel said speaking weekly with others experiencing the same drought – and often despair – helped her not to feel isolated.
“To rock up every Wednesday and see even the look of tears in other people’s faces … just the relief,” she said.
“We’re just very thankful that we have people that had the initiative to look around and see where there was a need.”
Today, Mel and her family are in a much better position water-wise.
In fact, she said this year was the first in a few they had been able to keep calves and lambs on their farm.
Granite Belt Water Relief’s Russell Wantling said there were well over 50 volunteers and countless donors that helped facilitate the transfer of more than 18 million litres of bulk water to local families, and each deserved a wholehearted thank you.
“The transport companies, they’ve done such a big effort. Camping groups, caravan groups, so many groups came up,” Russell said.
“We had people from Brisbane come down just to volunteer for the morning with their kids.
“Everybody should be proud. It brought so many people together.”
He described the twice-weekly meets – on Wednesday and Saturday – at the water shed where the charity would give water and goods to families as similar to congregations of a little city.
Closing the charity, Russell said, was bittersweet as it gave so many people purpose, friendships, and happy times.
While Granite Belt Water Relief has now wound down its supply of water, Russell and Samantha said the charity may resume in the future if the community needs it to.
