By Jem Anshaw
It is difficult to sum up in a few words the emotion in Merriwa after the community successfully raised $60,000 to cover the invoices sent to ratepayers who had the new footpath in town cross their property.
There are plenty of people who are still very angry that the situation arose in the first place, but for now they are focusing on what can only be described as a true demonstration of country town spirit and determination.
“This town is fantastic,” Cheryl Dallimore, one of the residents impacted by the situation shared days after the community raised funds were sent to Upper Hunter Shire Council.
“We just want to thank everybody, on behalf of the rest of the residents, everybody that contributed in whichever way.
“I didn’t think we would ever make it.”
The Merriwa Progress Association had initially gone into bat for the ratepayers writing to Upper Hunter Shire Council about using the Merriwa Reserve Fund to cover the shortfall, but that inexplicably was not deemed an appropriate option.
When letter writing and meetings seemed to be going nowhere, the community was not about to sit back and watch their neighbours, many of whom are pensioners, have to cop the cost.
“It was just the consensus of the community, we just made the statement we’re going to fundraise. We didn’t know how, we decided we’re just going to do it and we’ll work out the details as we go along,” Robert Smith, Merriwa Chamber of Commerce treasurer, said with a laugh.
It did not take long for the details to fall into place, with countless groups, businesses, and individuals finding a way to donate.
Merriwa Men’s Shed put a barometer in the main street that became a focal point of the fundraising, and they have also spent countless hours collecting, sorting and transporting well over 100,000 empty drink containers for the fundraising effort.
President Neil Hunt was the lucky man who was filling in the barometer with each chunk of money that came in, including that final space that was filled at the start of this month.
“It was good to see, and it’s surprising how much the public got behind it and donated money and all the cans and bottles and things like that to the worthy course,” he said.
The barometer will stay full for some time to let the community bask in the glory of what they have achieved, but it has already been decided that the Men’s Shed will continue collecting their cans to support future projects for the community.
