Donation generates goodwill

Published on 18 May 2015

A generous donation is set to be a gift that keeps on giving thanks to former resident, Bevan Slattery, who donated 40 generators during TC Marcia.

Rockhampton Regional Council is now packing up the generators, ready to answer the call wherever they will be next needed in Regional Queensland.

Donated during a desperate time of need after TC Marcia switched off the power to the Region, his gift was a saviour for some on our hottest days. 

Rockhampton Region Mayor Margaret Strelow said Mr Slattery’s gesture of goodwill was a turning point during the disaster.

“I know how valuable the generators were in our own community and I have no qualms in saying they saved lives,” Mayor Strelow said.

The generators allowed sleeping and breathing machinery to operate and provided much-needed 'fridge and fan' relief for the most vulnerable in our community.

“We had requests from some very ill people with various health issues including a lady on chemotherapy who needed her oxygen pump and a resident with sleep apnoea – his wife watched over him all night to make sure he kept breathing until we delivered a generator.

“It was a frightening time, and I cannot thank Bevan enough,” she said. The generators are being stored in a shipping container complete with paperwork and jerry cans, ready to be delivered to another community in a time of need.

“This was the biggest gift of all when we needed it most, and now we are ready to pay it forward,” she said.