NSW SES Inverell Unit

06/05/2026

In addition to our open day on Saturday morning, our members were joined by special guests and past members for a formal dinner at the Inverell Sporties.

During the dinner some of our special guests spoke about the achievements of the unit in its 50 year existence. A history made up of a combined mebership accounting for 1132 years worth of volunteering.

Two of the most meaningful speeches were given by guests who helped make up that contribution. David Jones, a founding member who is still an important member of the unit despite turning 80 recently, and Charlie Moir, former member, Local Commander, and president of the NSW SES Volunteer Association, spoke about their time in the unit and the personal as well as community benefits of volunteering.

A lovely meal was shared with a great atmosphere building connections and chatting with friends.

The night was only made possible through the generosity of the NSW SES VA, who provided the unit with a grant to be able to host the dinner.

A sincere thank you goes out to everyone who came and made the night such a success.

06/05/2026

Saturday was a big day for the team at Inverell Unit. Having reached our 50 year milestone in February we celebrated formally this weekend.

Our open day may not have drawn huge crowds but, those who came engaged thoroughly with what was on offer.

Councilor Kel Brown took the opportunity to get into a harness and get a bit of a sense of what it's like for our storm opperators to get on a roof with all of our safety systems.

Kids and adults alike took on the ropebag challenge. Rooebags are a first level rescue tool to get people to safety when they are caught in flood water. The challenge was an accuracy feat with two different size tyres to through the ropebag through and win a prize.

As we have seen before, a favourite for the kids was to explore the tunnels made up of various size concrete pipe. Some found it a challenge due to the confined feel but everyone came out with a big smile.

Congratulations to our colouring contest winners, who all went home with their own Paddy Platypus, the NSW SES mascot.

Thanks also go to the team from Bingara Unit for their display of hauling systems and vertical mobility.

We look forward to our next open day, where we will hopefully see an even bigger turn out.

02/05/2026

Come up and have a coffee or a snag, and a chat. The team have been busily setting up for the day.

25/04/2026

Today our members came together in the dark with the other early birds to honour our servicemen at the dawn service.

After a lovely breakfast, courtesy of the Inverell RSM, we went out to Gilgai where the Gigai school students did a wonderful job at the commemoration.

We completed the day at the Inverell march and service. Thanks to Hayden Hill for stepping up to help lay our wreath today.

It was wonderful to see such a great turn out by the Inverell community, reinforcing the relevance of ANZAC day and it's place in the weave that makes up the Aussie way of life.

24/04/2026

Lest we forget.

21/04/2026

Come and celebrate our 50th Anniversary with us.

Plenty to see and interactive displays for young and old alike.

Hope to see you there.

13/04/2026

On Saturday members from Inverell, Glen Innes, Manila, Tamworth, and Moree came together at Copeton Dam for a Floodboat Operator Skils/Vessel Familiarisation day.

Operators varied in experience and were given the opportunity to drive a variety of vessels currently in service in the SES fleet.

The day started with an opportunity to drive unfamiliar vessels with the support of an experienced operator to point out capabilities, quirks, and limitations of the vessel.

This was followed by some skills drills amongst the natural obstacles of the dam, which tested not just the manoeuvrability of the vessels but also the skill levels of the operators to control the boats in tight quarters and varying swell.

After lunch the conditions on the dam changed significantly. What had been calm and flat conditions changed as a south westerly wind came up, creating the swell and white caps Copeton is known for. This made the casualty retrieval scenarios significantly more realistic. Operators had to approach a rock outcrop and enter dead trees while dealing with the push of the wind and swell, to safely retrieve two maniquins.

The day was a great opportunity to meet members from across the zone and work with new people to train in our core roles.

We now look forward to the next skills day which aims to include a wider sample of SES members and vessels but also to undertake inter-agency training with the VRA and NSW Police.

01/04/2026

Congratulations to our Inverell SES volunteers! 🎉
Yesterday, Stephen Leahy, Acting Zone Commander NWZ, visited the Inverell Unit to present several well-deserved awards.
• Troy Hill (Unit Commander) was presented with his National 15 Years Service Medal, recognising 15 years of dedicated and committed service to the SES and our community.
• Troy, as well as Joerg Gruenfeld (Deputy Unit Commander), Riley Gruenfeld, and Hayden Hill were each awarded the NSW Premier’s Flood Emergency Citation for their outstanding contribution during the 2022-2023 NSW Floods emergency response.
We are incredibly proud of the professionalism, dedication, and hard work shown by our team members. These awards are a true reflection of the outstanding service they provide to the Inverell community.
Thank you to Stephen Leahy for taking the time to join us and present these awards. 👏

23/03/2026

A bit late realising that it was published but here it is.

Inverell SES rings up 50 years of service | The Inverell branch of NSW State Emergency Service (SES) is preparing to mark 50 years of operation this May.

Click the link in the comments to get the full story, paywall free. Really.

22/03/2026

Last night a joy ride in a stolen car ended badly when they lost control and crashed through two yards before hitting the corner of the second house. The offenders fled the scene on foot before police could arrive.

The resident reached out to see if we could help out until they could get a builder to undertake more solid repairs. Happily we were able to make the house weather proof and protect their belongings from further harm.

If you know anything that can help give some consequences to the car theives we would encourage you to speak to the local police or at least ring Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.