Community
6 November, 2024
Fonterra CFA partnership
FONTERRA has partnered with the Cobden Country Fire Authority (CFA) unit to help protect lives and property through a generous donation.
The Cobden CFA, a volunteer fire brigade with more than 15 dedicated members, serves a large area which stretches from Camperdown to the coast.
What unites these dedicated volunteers is the common goal to protect the community, an ethos that resonates with Fonterra, especially as the region is home to more than 300 of its employees and 130 of its farmers.
In a show of support for the work they do, Fonterra recently contributed $3000 to the Cobden CFA.
The funds will be used to provide a boost to its fundraising efforts for a new security roller door at the fire station.
While it’s not frontline essential emergency equipment, the door upgrade helps safeguard both volunteers’ personal belongs and vital emergency equipment they rely on.
Fonterra Cobden site manager Nick Hayes emphasised Fonterra’s firsthand experience of the important role fire brigades play in community safety.
“In 2014, an electrical fire destroyed the cheese building at Fonterra’s Stanhope site in Northern Victoria,” he said.
“Firefighters, including the Stanhope CFA, worked around the clock to contain the fire.
“Thankfully, no one was hurt, and the firefighters prevented the fire from spreading further.”
Mr Hayes said the event served as a catalyst for Fonterra to increase its commitment to supporting regional fire services.
“Fonterra has supported various regional fire brigades across Victoria and Tasmania since the event, including the Bostock Creek CFA after the devastating St Patrick’s Day fires in 2018,” he said.
“We also organise regular familiarisation walk-throughs at all our manufacturing sites, ensuring that first responders are fully equipped with the knowledge of site layouts in case of future emergencies.”
Cobden CFA captain Dale Robertson expressed gratitude for Fonterra’s ongoing support of local fire brigades.
“It’s partnerships and donations like these that truly make a real difference to our volunteer brigades,” he said.
“The new roller door not only improves the security of our station but also ensures our equipment is exactly where it needs to be, ready to go when the community calls on us.
“Having the right resources protected and accessible is critical when minutes matter in an emergency.
“Fonterra’s support of local fire brigades shows just how much they value the work that we do, as well as the safety and wellbeing of the region.”
For rural Australian communities, the risk of bushfires is a harsh reality, and as a proud member of these close-knit regions, Fonterra is committed to ongoing support for vital emergency services like the CFA.
In Australia, Fonterra focusses its community support around three goals. This is where it believes it can have the greatest impact:
Putting quality nutrition in the hands of those who need it the most;
Protecting and regenerating the environment; and
Helping to keep its rural community strong.
Read More: Cobden