Bexhill resident Merrilee Pettinato is doing everything she can to support people affected by recent bush fires in the Tenterfield region.

Tomorrow, Saturday, November 9, she’s holding a storage shed sale in Goonellabah to raise money for the non-profit organisation Make It Tenterfield.

Merillee works at Daleys Homewares and Monogramming and said she felt for the hardships the people in the Tenterfield region were going though after the fires.  

“I have a house in Tenterfield that nearly burnt down on October 6,” she said.

“I was actually buying the house on that day. 

“At 10am in morning after the final inspection of the house, I was waiting around for the transfer settlement to come through and I went for a wander and asked the local agent to ring me when it was done.

“Later, my own agent rang said me and said she was at my house fighting a fire in her high heels along with the current who were fire fighting volunteers – and they stayed there to fight the fire too.

“It was extraordinary the way things came together for me.”

Merillee regularly travels to Tenterfield and loves the community there.

She’s joined the collective art and craft collective Make It Tenterfield which she says has evolved into a hub of people who support each other and people in neighbouring towns like Stanthorpe and Drake. 

“They are fundraising for the community doing raffles and a Buy a Bale fundraiser so farmers can feed their remaining cattle and horses,” she said.

“Since February this year, three fires have ringed the town on three occasions, with only one house lost - but many outbuildings, fences and live stock are affected and thousandsof acres of farms and surrounding National and State Forests and Parks are burnt.

“Today there’s another fire broken out down the road again and the devastation is ongoing - especially as the drought is also impacting them.

“Many people are now without an income and that impacts the whole town.

“Tenterfiled is a tourist town with many people either passing through or coming to the National Parks or State Forests, many of which are now closed due to the fire. 

“Bald Rock has had all the infrastructure destroyed.”

Merillee said all the money raised from the storage locker sale tomorrow will be given to Make It Tenterfield to distribute to different organisations.

“Money will go to buying bottled water for the school kids as the town water supply is undrinkable without boiling first, or to buy bales of hay for cattle.

“We’ve also got donations going to organisations like Blaze Aid - an initiative that started in the Black Saturday fires in Victoria - where volunteers from all over the world come to the assistance of farmers with fence building or other tasks.

The storage shed sale will offer a wide range of donated goods, including quad bike and motorbike gear and garden tools. 

“Six months ago my friend had a storage shed full of abandoned stuff which has been donated to me for the cause.

The sale will be held at Caravan Plus Storage, Unit 100, 4 Holland Road, Goonellabah from 8am until 2pm.

Merillee also intends to hold a Lismore Car Boot market stall on November 17.