Humans of Regional Australia

Every year, through its Community Partnership Program, Regional Australia Bank enables members to directly support the local groups that play such a vital role in our communities. FOUND Regional talks to the people behind those groups, to discover more about the work they do, and the positive impact they quietly have on the world around us.

Armidale Tree Group: The locals nurturing our environment

The trees are a fundamental part of the New England landscape, with the changing seasons marking a seismic change in appearance – the burnt orange creating a picturesque autumnal setting, the bright, vivid greens heralding spring’s change to summer. 

And for that, we’re thankful – in part, at least – to the Armidale Tree Group. 

Founded back in 1983, Armidale Tree Group is driven by a mission to ‘re-leaf New England’, protecting and conserving the New England environment by raising and planting native trees and shrubs. 

Today, Armidale Tree Group operates from its nursery in the city’s Mann Street. Open six days per week, the nursery offers a selection of Australian garden plants, herbs and vegetables, garden products and trees and shrubs to the community, and also conducts work in the environmental management, revegetation, weed management, and consultancy and reporting spheres. 

“While we provide native plants for both the home garden and large, rural plantings, we also offer native tree planting services and can provide environmental and koala assessment reports for developments,” explains the Group’s Alicia Cooper. 

There’s very much a community focus at Armidale Tree Group, with volunteers helping in the nursery, and both plants and staff time being donated to community plantings within and outside of Armidale – while an ambitious current project is the creation of habitat plantings along the Saumarez Creek. 

Looking ahead, the Group is currently involved in expanding its infrastructure so it can increase the number of native plants it can propagate each year. 

“We are also hoping to expand our services so we can help with the creation and management of biodiversity conservation sites,” says Alicia.  

A special project, meanwhile, Every Tree Counts, aims to raise funds and build partnerships to address landscape-scale environmental issues in New England.

The Group has diligently helped protect and nurture our beautiful environment over the past four decades – and long may that continue!

Northern Inland Academy of Sport: Creating a level playing field for tomorrow’s stars

Since 1992, the Northern Inland Academy of Sport (NIAS) has been helping aspiring elite athletes from across our region develop their potential, both on and off the field. 

Based in Tamworth, it’s one of 11 Regional Academies of Sport in the country, and has provided thousands of talented young, regional athletes and coaches in NSW with a pathway to higher levels of representation and significant developmental opportunities. 

“The NIAS is what you would describe as an ‘elevator organisation’ – we identify athletes, nurture them and assist them to progress up the ladder to higher levels of success, whether that’s at a state, national or international level, and ultimately influence them to become better humans along the journey,” says Shona Eichorn, who was the organisation’s inaugural CEO between its formation in 1992 and 1997, before volunteering on the board for many years and being reappointed as CEO in 2021. 

Working with pre-elite athletes typically aged between 13 and 17, the NIAS – which was originally based in Armidale before making the move to Tamworth in 1997 – provides talent development programs, support and activities to ensure our local young athletes and sports stars of the future aren’t disadvantaged by location. 

And the impact is significant, with 33 per cent of Australia’s medal tally at the most recent Olympics coming from athletes who’ve been through the NSW Regional Academies of Sports programs. 

Of course, like many community-based organisations, a number of funding sources are relied upon to continue offering hugely important programs and services to the community – and opportunities to aspiring athletes.  

Shona says, “We have a number of tremendous supporters, including Regional Australia Bank, which provides support through the Community Partnership Program and also as a Major Partner of many NIAS initiatives. 

“Its contributions and investment have been greatly valued, and provided NIAS with the opportunity to do more for our athletes and coaches. They are truly regional, and do as they promote – they have their community at the heart of all they do.” 

 Dundaloo Foundation: Creating happy places

In August, the Dundaloo Foundation celebrates its 70th anniversary – meaning it's been helping people with disabilities in its local area for an incredible seven decades. 

In 1953, a group of families in the Manning Valley wanted to help their family members with a disability to live life to the full, play a meaningful role in the community and find fulfilling work. 

The Foundation started life as a school operating out of a Methodist Church, and the name Dundaloo – which means ‘happy place’ – was adopted in 1956. A new school was built and a competition invited people to suggest names. Dundaloo, of course, came out on top. 

“The school and hostel were the first of its kind in this community,” explains the Foundation’s Colin Steber. 

“Since then, it has greatly expanded in the size and variety of services it offers, supporting people of all ages, with a wide range of disabilities of all sorts, who receive funding from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

“We’re committed to supporting people in all aspects of their life. We build relationships that provide just the right amount of support to allow our participants to make their own decisions to achieve their goals and dreams, participate in meaningful activities and build social relationships.”

Today, Dundaloo operates in its traditional Manning Valley base, as well as Great Lakes and Gloucester, providing a range of services, including independent living in Dundaloo residential houses, community access and participation support services for people in their own homes. They also offer day programs for both over-18s and under-18s, work programs and school leaver support, coordination of support and plan management, and allied health services, including psychology, speech therapy, and occupational therapy. 

And it’s a service that’s much needed. 

Colin explains, “The area serviced by Dundaloo – the Manning, Great Lakes and Gloucester communities – has a higher percentage of people living with disabilities at 8.2 per cent, compared with the NSW regional average of 5.4 per cent.” 

A new initiative within the Foundation, meanwhile, is Dundaloo Enterprises, which aims to develop business opportunities and collaborate with other businesses in the community, including providing employment opportunities to people with a disability. 

In terms of making a genuine difference to the lives of people in our communities, Dundaloo does that in spades. Over the past 70 years, Dundaloo’s helped thousands of local people enjoy a better life – and what better purpose is there than that? 

Moree on a Plate: Celebrating local foodie goodness

Ask the majority of people in regional NSW about Moree on a Plate, and they’ll have almost certainly heard of the event, if they haven’t been to experience the Moree foodie goodness itself. 

Born almost 20 years ago – long before ‘paddock to plate’ was even a concept – Moree on a Plate has grown from humble beginnings to a calendar fixture.

The event was the brainchild of two local women, Jenni Birch and Margi Kirkby – the latter is still on the committee today – and was born from the need for the two women to sell their Gwydir Grove Olive Oil. 

“We were driving home from selling Gwydir Grove at an event in Tamworth and said, ‘We can do this in Moree! Silly us!’” says Margi. 

From humble beginnings as a market event showcasing local produce and giving emerging industries a platform to promote both themselves and the Moree region, the food festival has evolved into an all-encompassing celebration, featuring a wide range of entertainment intended to cater for the whole community. 

“From celebrity chef cooking demonstrations, which have included big names such as Fast Ed and Marion Grasby, to ‘Kids Korner’ entertainment, which, in the past has featured national award-winning educator George the Farmer, Moree on a Plate provides a unique opportunity for the community to come together, enjoy nationally acclaimed entertainers, socialise and be proud of our region, all at a price affordable to all — a gold coin donation,” says Margi.  

The festival has become a valuable event for Moree and the wider community, attracting visitors from across the region and beyond. 

And, as well as providing an immensely popular visitor attraction, Moree on a Plate has raised $30,000 for a range of community initiatives over its near-20 years. 

“Everything we do as a committee has the Moree community at heart,” says Margi. 

“From providing emerging businesses with a platform to promote themselves, offering the community engaging and unique entertainment options, providing upskilling opportunities through cooking demonstrations, nurturing and showcasing local musical and artistic talent, to attracting tourists to our wonderful town, it’s all done to benefit the community.”

The 2024 event will be the 20th Moree on a Plate, and Regional Australia Bank is proud to once again be a sponsor of the event. 

“The bank has provided significant financial donations over the years, but most importantly the Moree branch staff give us invaluable support.  

“Every year, without fail, RAB staff volunteer their services to look after cash and run our MOP ‘bank’ at the festival. One of the many accolades we receive from producers is the seamless handling of cash and change on the day.  This is an essential service and we would struggle to run a smooth festival without it.”