Issue 479 – Westbury councillor urges town to support Queensland flood victims

HAVING experienced the “utter devastation” of the floods in Queensland, Australia for himself, Westbury town councillor Mike Cuthbert-Murray is appealing for people to help those who have been affected.

Mike Cuthbert Murray, Westbury town councillor and Wiltshire councillor for Westbury East, issued the appeal from Queensland, having been in Australia since Christmas Day.
Mike said, “Whilst we all knew of the terrible floods in northern Queensland in Rockhampton and Bundaberg, I put it down to localised flooding… Now being here and experiencing the real thing now, it has hit Maryborough and Gympie towns, we are completely cut off from everywhere and the devastation around to people is truly beyond comprehension to most. Gympie today had floods of 20 metres high destroying everything in its wake.”
A collection tin will be in place at Banana Blues in the High Street. You can also donate via the Australian Red Cross website.
Cllr Cuthbert-Murray spearheaded an appeal in 2009 in response to fires which raged in the Australian bush, which raised almost $350 Australian dollars. The appeal received a letter of thanks from John Brumby MP, premier of Victoria.