“WE DID IT” HOME HILL ROTARY'S YEAR-LONG FUNDRAISER DELIVERS $40K POLICE ATV

Rotary Club of Home Hill president Clive Williams and Home Hill Senior Constable Will Stewart in the new Yamaha Wolverine RMAX4. Photo: QPS

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Almost a year of community fundraising has delivered Burdekin police a new all-terrain vehicle, giving officers faster access to remote areas and locations inaccessible to conventional patrol cars.

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The Rotary Club of Home Hill officially handed over the four-seat Yamaha Wolverine RMAX4 to Queensland Police Service officers on Wednesday, 4th November, following an extensive fundraising effort involving local businesses, volunteers and community members.

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The vehicle, which will be based at Home Hill Police Station and shared with Ayr officers, will support search and rescue operations, emergency responses, disaster management, proactive patrols and community events.

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Home Hill Senior Constable Will Stewart said Burdekin police had been seeking an all-terrain vehicle for several years, with officers previously relying on borrowed equipment or waiting for vehicles to be brought from Townsville.

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He said the vehicle would provide immediate access to areas including Wunjunga Beach, Alva Beach and local riverbeds.

"This vehicle will be an invaluable asset to policing in the Burdekin, supporting officers in carrying out a range of duties from search and rescues, emergency response during natural disasters, community engagement and event management, crime prevention and proactive patrols in areas traditionally not accessible to conventional vehicles,” Mr Stewart said.

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Rotary Club of Home Hill president Clive Williams said the project was sparked by a presentation from local police officers at a club meeting during Domestic Violence Prevention Month last year.

During the discussion, officers outlined the difficulties of responding to incidents in areas where conventional vehicles could not travel and the lack of a locally available ATV.

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The club subsequently took on the challenge of raising the money needed to purchase one, despite initial doubts about whether the small organisation could achieve its target.

With the help of major support from the community and local businesses, the club hit its target in less than a year.

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"It was going to be a big thing to achieve, but with the help from our community, volunteers and local businesses, it was achieved within 12 months," Mr Williams said.

He acknowledged the contributions of major sponsors, including the Community Bank of Ayr and Home Hill, Rotary International, Burdekin Motorcycles, Delta Cleaners, QMN, Nutrien Harcourts McCathies, NextGen Building Co, Oar & Horan Dentists, NQ Hardfacing, Burdekin Engineering, Vass Engineering and Home Hill Surgery.

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Mr Williams said Burdekin Motorcycles had also provided a significant discount and helped prepare the vehicle for police use.

Mr Stewart thanked Rotary and its supporting businesses and community members, describing the donation as an “investment in the safety and wellbeing of the local community.”

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"The police are the public, and the public are the police," he said.

"Policing is very much a partnership between police and the community, and these partnerships are fundamental to effective policing.”

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He said the vehicle would be “put to good use" across the region.

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