ROY RIDES FOR FLYING DOCTOR
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
Independent Member for Barwon Roy Butler roared into Bourke on his BMW motorbike last Thursday during a long-distance charity ride supporting the Royal Flying Doctor Service and rural health services across western New South Wales.
Mr Butler said the ride had been eventful, including mechanical issues that saw a trailer detach during the journey.
“At one point the whole trailer came off the bike and slid down the road,” he said. “Luckily it just slid into the dirt and stopped.”
Despite the delay, Mr Butler continued the motorbike journey.
The ride was timed to coincide with the Flying Doctor’s 90th anniversary celebrations, and Mr Butler said he had been working to help reaffirm the organisation’s royal title following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.
He said the main reason for taking the journey was to carry the flare for the RFDS while raising funds and increasing awareness of remote health services.
He said around 52 per cent of the service area covered by RFDS activity covered communities in his electorate.
“If the RFDS wasn’t there, there’d be no doctor,” he said.
Mr Butler pointed to towns such as Weilmoringle, Hungerford, Louth, Tilpa and Wanaaring, saying fly-in clinics and outreach services provide healthcare that would otherwise be unavailable.
“In some places they bring in specialists that people would never get to see otherwise,” he said.
Mr Butler said many city-based Australians were out of touch and did not fully understand the extent of service gaps across western NSW.
“If you’re in the city, you’re a short ride on public transport from a hospital that’s open 24 hours a day, where you can get surgery done and where you can see a specialist,” he said. “Out here, we just don’t have anything like that.”
He welcomed previous government funding support of $15 million for the RFDS and said the same investment would be needed in future to keep services growing across regional areas.
The fundraising ride also encouraged supporters to sponsor the journey by distance travelled, with 1,300 kms covered so far and the full route covering close to 3,000 kilometres.
“If people donated one cent per kilometre, that’s around $13”, he said.
Mr Butler said the warm reception from communities along the way reflected how well-loved the Royal Flying Doctor Service is.
“Physically, it was a pretty gruelling trip on the back of a motorbike for 1,300km, but the opportunity to support the Flying Doctors made it all worthwhile.
“A real highlight was the people we met along the way. So many people shared stories about how the Flying Doctors were there for them on the worst day of their lives.
“Thanks to everyone who supported the trip and made it such a success, including the councils at Warren, Bourke, Cobar and Central Darling and everyone who donated.
“We raised $3,664 and also had a pledge of over $10,000, all of which will go directly to supporting the RFDS. Donations are still open – so if you can, please find the link on my Facebook page and donate.”
To support Roy’s trip, donate directly to the RFDS here: https://bit.ly/41EgC5Q
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