In August 2022, Stephen Bennett, MP for Burnett rang the RFBAQ and asked how a group of veterans would go about purchasing ex-Rural Fire equipment at auction. Camp Gregory’s current firefighting equipment, a 1,000 litre tank on a rusted-out trailer, had come to the end of its useful life.
The RFBAQ requested and received a written summary of need for an ex-fire truck from the executive of the camp and wrote to the Minister for Fire Mark Ryan MP and the QFES Commissioner Greg Leach seeking the allocation of an ex-rural fire truck to the camp.
Minister Ryan and the QFES were supportive of the initiative from day one and last Wednesday Camp Gregory received a Mitsubishi Canter that was handed over by Minister Ryan.
Camp Gregory is a 40 acre property on the banks of the Gregory River and is surrounded by National Park. It was opened as a veterans retreat in 2010. Before then the camp was a place where veterans from the 1968 National Service Intake (including friends and family) would gather through ‘word of mouth’.
Camp Gregory Veterans Retreat has come a long way since its early days and now includes first responders. A number of brigade members and fire and rescue firefighters have received support at the camp.
Check out their website -
https://www.campgregoryveterans.com/
Photo credit Camp Gregory