Tamworth charity auction to raise funds for farmers battling drought
This is the house that drought built – and the kindness of a local community eager to help out battling farming families.
A building company, developer, the council, teams of big-hearted tradies and a real estate agent have all banded together in country NSW to build a four-bedroom house to be auctioned off to raise funds for drought-ravaged farmers.
“The drought has had such long-term effects on our region, and we wanted to do something to help,” said Natalie Urquhart of G.J. Gardner Homes Tamworth.
“So, we thought this would be a good way to raise funds, doing what we do best, and we hope the house will be bought for in excess of $200,000 which could be a big help. And we’ve had great support from local trades and suppliers and top-tier sponsors, doing the work for free or supplying materials either free or at heavily discounted prices.”
All profits from the July 25 auction of the house, which will sit on a 710-square-metre corner site in boutique land estate Lampada with – happily – beautiful New England farmland views, will go to the Salvation Army Rural Relief program.
“We’re so excited by this opportunity,” said the Salvation Army’s Captain Brad McIver. “It’s a real demonstration of a community coming together to support those who are doing it tough, and it’s a great point of celebration.
“We know the effects of the drought will go on for a long time, with not only farmers being impacted, but also local businesses … it affects everyone. But as well as the funds raised, we hope the fact this is happening will provide a really positive uplift for the community and will be something good to build our energies around for the future.”
There’ll be a ground-breaking ceremony on February 22, with one of the star guests the so-called nudie-rudie farmer Glenn Brown, a cattle farmer from near Tamworth, who danced naked with joy when the rain arrived in a video that went viral around the world. His property had been just about to run out of water.
his new property, on land provided by award-winning developers the McCloy Tamworth Group as part of their Lorikeet release, will offer the successful auction bidder a home in a family-friendly community complete with a children’s playground.
Located in the heart of Calala, just south of Tamworth’s town centre, the estate is named after the Italian word for light, lampada, as a reference to Tamworth being the first place in Australia to have electric street lights.
McCloy Group project director James Goode said: “The community needs all of our support at the moment. Farmers are really struggling out there, and we’re doing everything we can to help through the Salvos.
“We’ve done other projects in the past for other causes, but this is a really worthwhile cause that we wanted to help out with.”
The house, The Tamworth 300, will have three separate living areas, an open-plan gourmet kitchen with butler’s pantry, a dining area with an adjoining rumpus room, and two bathrooms.
Real estate agent Dean Cummins of PRD Tamworth says it will be a beautiful home in a prominent position in a new sub-division of Tamworth. “The drought has been hitting really hard, and we’re very happy for the chance to support the project,” he said.
“It’s wonderful that so many people are coming together for something like this. And while we’re looking at the house raising about $200,000, we’re really hoping for closer to $250,000.”
Domain.com.au | 20th February 2020 by Sue Williams