In late March 2025, Western Queensland was hit by record breaking floods that swept across an area twice the size of Victoria.
One year on, many remote households and communities are still navigating the long road to recovery. The vast distances, limited local trades and goods, and the isolation faced by residents continue to complicate rebuilding efforts. Yet what remains unchanged is the remarkable resilience of Western Queenslanders. Many families continue to quietly shoulder hardship, often hesitant to ask for help or believing others are more deserving.
With the support of generous donors like you, GIVIT is working alongside local organisations to ensure people in these regions can access the essential items they need to recover with dignity and hope.
How your generosity helped flood-impacted communities
In late March 2025, Western Queensland was hit by record breaking floods that swept across an area twice the size of Victoria.
One year on from the Western Queensland floods, the impact is still deeply felt across remote farming communities. The loss of livestock, along with thousands of kilometres of fencing, had a devastating effect on the livelihoods and security of families who depend on the land. The scale of the damage continues to place enormous financial and emotional strain on households already managing the challenges of isolation and rising costs.
Thanks to your generosity, GIVIT has coordinated almost 9,500 essential items and services for people recovering from the floods. Supporting local economies remains critical, and wherever possible GIVIT continues to purchase goods locally to help strengthen businesses and communities as they rebuild.
Image credit: Queensland Reconstruction Authority
Here's what we've achieved so far
The new building for Adavale's School of Distance Education.
Hope and recovery in Adavale
When floodwaters destroyed Adavale’s School of Distance Education, a replacement building was sourced. GIVIT covered the cost of transporting the new building to the town, ensuring the education of local kids could continue as soon as possible.
Quilpie Shire Council shared: "Please accept our thanks and gratitude for the delivery and set up of the transported school building to Adavale. We are grateful for GIVIT’s partnership in restoring normalcy to disaster-affected communities.”
Also in heavily impacted Adavale, GIVIT provided a couple whose home was flooded a new fridge freezer, washing machine and bed base and mattress to help them get back into their home.
They shared: “My partner and I can’t find the appropriate words of gratitude to thank you and your donors for your absolutely incredible generosity. We lost pretty much everything and to be given such a wonderful gift has made all the difference. Words cannot express our gratitude. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
Rebuilding the lives of resilient rural residents
The Western Queensland floods left many people with their lives turned upside down, destroying homes, livelihoods and hard‑won fresh starts.
For one young couple, floodwaters inundated their home and sheds, washing away household items, tools and equipment. After months in alternative accommodation, they were desperate to return to their property and begin rebuilding. GIVIT provided swags, a gazebo and a fridge freezer so they could spend safe, practical time on their land and take the first steps toward recovery.
For a mother and her six children, the floods struck just after they had escaped domestic violence and moved to a remote town seeking safety. Their new home was completely destroyed, and the family had to be rescued by helicopter. With support from GIVIT donors, they received groceries, a washing machine, a fridge freezer, and new beds and mattresses, restoring comfort and stability after devastating loss.
Donated camping gear for residents in Western Queensland
Donated cooking equipment allowed the Stonehenge Bushman's Carnival to go ahead in 2025.
Cooking with gas at Stonehenge Bushman’s Carnival
In March 2025, the Stonehenge Rodeo Grounds were completely inundated by the devastating Western Queensland floods. The canteen - heart of the Bushman's Carnival - was left in ruins, with all cooking equipment destroyed. With just five months until the annual event, the community faced a race against time to recover.
Thanks to generous donations through GIVIT, essential cooking gear including stoves, fridges, deep fryer, chip warmer and an ice machine was delivered just in time.
This support meant the community could come together, heal, and celebrate after months of hardship. The Bushman's Carnival went ahead, bringing smiles, stories, and a sense of normalcy back to Stonehenge.
Restoring connection in Jundah after the floods
When the floods devastated Jundah, homes were destroyed, residents were evacuated and the long road to recovery began. Among the unexpected losses was the town’s free to air television service, which collapsed when floodwaters destroyed the retransmission infrastructure. For one of the most remote communities in Australia, this meant losing access to news, emergency updates and an important source of connection.
With repairs impossible, Barcoo Shire Council chose to transition to VAST (Viewer Access Satellite Television) boxes to restore reliable access for every household.
Thanks to the generosity of GIVIT donors, funding for the first 20 boxes allowed the rollout to begin with the community’s most vulnerable residents. For elderly people, isolated households and families with limited mobility, the return of television brought comfort, information and a renewed sense of normalcy
Barcoo Shire Council shared: "Your support restored something simple but deeply valued: choice, connection, and a sense of normalcy. What many Australians take for granted became possible again for Barcoo Shire residents because of your kindness. We sincerely thank you for your generosity and commitment to supporting remote communities in times of need. Your contribution has delivered lasting impact and has been truly appreciated across our community."
Viewer Access Satellite Television boxes restored reliable access to vulnerable residents in Jundah.
Thanks to generous donors, this couple received a fridge, washing machine and bed.
Helping a couple rebuild after disaster
A couple who lost much of their home and belongings in the Western Queensland floods needed support to replace the essential items that make daily life possible. Thanks to the generosity of GIVIT donors, we provided local store vouchers so they could choose a new fridge, washing machine and bed.
This support restored comfort and dignity at a time of immense stress, while also directing funds back into their local community.
The recipient shared: "My partner and I cannot find the appropriate words of gratitude to thank you and your donors for your absolutely incredible generosity. We mostly lost pretty much everything and to be given such a wonderful gift has made all the difference. We are enormously appreciative. Words cannot express our gratitude. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts."
Bringing Christmas back to the table
In the lead up to Christmas, many families in Western Queensland were still carrying the weight of a long and difficult 2025.
Through their Community Christmas Ham project, Barcoo Shire Council wanted to offer something simple, thoughtful and full of heart. A Christmas ham may seem small, but for families who have given everything to recover, it represented a little Christmas cheer at the end of a tough year.
Thanks to the generosity of donors, this project supported local families with something welcome and familiar. After a year focused on recovery, it was a small way to help bring Christmas back to the table. Barcoo Shire Council shared:
“All of the hams were distributed. Our community really appreciated the support.”
“The Christmas hams are a very generous gift which they whole community including our retailers can benefit from. We appreciate your strong support.”
Running a farm without running water
When the floods swept through Jundah, a farmer stood helpless as water surged across his property. What he could not save, he had to watch disappear.
Like many farmers in the region, he lost valuable stock and saw years of hard work lost in a matter of days. But when the water finally receded, another reality set in. His pressure water pump, which supplied his home with running water, had been destroyed. Suddenly, there was no reliable water to cook, clean or shower.
With fences flattened, paddocks damaged and income disrupted, replacing essential household infrastructure felt impossible. Rising fuel, food and operational costs only added to the strain. The emotional toll was heavy, but this farmer kept going, determined to rebuild his farm and care for his family.
Thanks to donations from people who wanted to help in a practical, meaningful way, GIVIT arranged for a replacement pressure water pump for this farmer. Running water was restored to his home, bringing back a sense of normalcy at a time when so much still felt uncertain.
Walking alongside Western Queensland as recovery continues
In the aftermath of the Western Queensland floods, communities across the region have shown quiet strength and determination in the face of overwhelming loss. While the floodwaters have long receded, the path to recovery remains complex, particularly for families and individuals living in remote and isolated areas.
Rebuilding takes time. Homes, livelihoods and routines were disrupted, and many people are still finding their footing as they work towards stability and security once again.
GIVIT remains committed to supporting Western Queensland for the long term, partnering with local organisations to ensure essential help reaches people in the moments it matters most, and in ways that truly support recovery.
To everyone whose generosity has already made an impact, thank you. Your kindness continues to provide comfort, dignity and hope, helping communities move forward, one step at a time.
National Disaster and Emergency Partners
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