On song: Musician Heidi Moncrieff performs from the back of a truck at the sandbagging site at Kerferd St, Echuca on Wednesday night. Photo: Bransen Gibson
Photo by
Bransen Gibson
Kerferd St in Echuca has been a hive of activity in recent days.
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It has been the epicentre of Echuca’s flood preparations as the site of one of the region’s sandbagging stations.
For more than a week, thousands of people have been working hard there day and night to help make tens of thousands of sandbags that are being used to help protect the town from impending floodwaters.
Normally, the sandbagging hub is incredibly busy as forklifts, dump trucks, cars and an army of people with shovels in hand work away.
But on Wednesday night, there were different types of scenes at Kerferd St.
Instead of the usual sandbagging, people gathered to listen to music and enjoy a well-earned drink and dinner.
Musician Heidi Moncrieff performed from the back of a truck, while the crowd took an opportunity to take a step back and relax after a frantic, hectic week.
The giant pile of sand that is normally being shovelled into bags as fast as possible had instead turned into a makeshift playground, with kids climbing and playing on the pile.
Kristy Serpell has been at Kerferd St for days helping at the sandbag hub and said Wednesday night was a good chance to take a small break
“It is good to see that everyone has banded together and we have dug in,” Ms Serpell said.
“Tonight is a little bit of a chance to say well done, great effort.
“Everyone needs to be congratulated and it is nice to have a bit of a chat and a drink and relax a little bit.
“Our bodies are just so sore, so it is nice to have a bit of a release before getting back into it tomorrow.
“It is nice to stop and relax and actually have a word to the people you’ve met at the sand pile.”
Changing tune: People take a break from preparing sandbags at Kerferd St, Echuca on Wednedsay night, instead enjoying music, a barbecue and drinks. Photo: Bransen Gibson
Photo by
Bransen Gibson
Jake Guinan works as a site manager and has been one of the key organisers at the sangbagging station at Kerferd St, having been at the site almost every day.
He said the effort had been enormous.
“It’s been pretty flat out trying to understand what is going on,” Mr Guinan said.
“We have Kerferd St here and it is specifically being run by locals and residents.
“We have been pumping out 25,000 sandbags a day, and it has been all locals — all local cars, locals on shovels, locals on bags, locals bringing sand, local forklifts.
“It is pretty amazing to be here for five days and then go down and see where these bags have been sent — especially the man-made Campaspe levee that has helped save homes.
“It is quite emotional, it is pretty amazing.
“We have just spent a week doing something awesome that will hopefully save homes.”
Mr Guinan said it was nice to take a break, but he knows there was still lots more work to be done.
“It is nice to take your foot off the pedal and have a little relax and a couple of beers, but once Echuca is done and once I’m finished here, I’m in the first car over to Moama,” he said.
“It has been pretty emotional to help the neighbours across the river, the Murray is coming for those guys too.”
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