Published on Thursday, 25 July 2013 at 12:00:00 AM
The town of Onslow’s ability to pull together has again come to the fore, after fire damaged a valuable community asset for the second time this year.
In the early hours of Monday, July 1, a fire broke out at Onslow General Store. Local Volunteer Rescue Workers were able to contain the blaze to the freezer and fruit and vegetable section before extinguishing it, preventing it from spreading. However, the fire smoke and water damage was extensive—estimated at up to $1.5 million—which meant all stock had to be disposed of due to damage and contamination.
The Onslow community faced a dilemma—with the nearest supermarket at least 2-3 hours away, how would everyone get access to essential supplies?
With resilience gained from experiencing similar disasters, the community managed to pull through yet again with a collective will to work together.
Initially, a small fridge was set up in the town’s hardware store for essentials, while The Shire of Ashburton set up a register for Onslow residents needing emergency supplies. A Recovery Coordination Team was then formed—consisting of The Shire of Ashburton, Onslow Police, Emergency Services, Thalanyji, Chevron, Bechtel, supermarket managers, Nikki’s Restaurant and other community members—to find a more viable, longer term solution.
After the tireless efforts of all involved, the supermarket was successfully relocated to The Onslow Multi-purpose Complex on July 4. While not perfect, it provided welcome relief for residents in need of supplies, with early expectations that it would take at least eight weeks for the supermarket to be repaired.
Owner of the Onslow General Store, Jim Ireland, was thrilled at the community’s ability to turn disaster into ‘something good’ and hopes to reopen the shop with a new design by October.
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