The Committee are all unpaid volunteers who formed an organisation following a drought aid public forum held in Longreach in April 2015. The executive and management  team were elected and the Western Queensland  Drought Appeal was born.

The management  committee has representatives from local community groups, churches, mental health organisations, finance, business and service clubs. Members all live in western Queensland  because they love it – the sense of community, the vast open spaces, the fresh air and serenity, the bush lifestyle and most of all – the people.

The appeal became a registered  charity in September 2015, with full tax-deductable gift recipient status.

The group has three main goals:
1. Raise money to distribute  to people on the land who are facing adversity due to the drought;
2. To encourage other charities,  groups and individuals to purchase goods and services locally in support of the local communities and towns; and
3. To guide the distribution of drought aid as equitably as possible across the region.

A strong motivation of the group is to provide service and support to all of western Queensland, and to this end the Committee approached Tambo Teddies to partner them in a new fundraising initiative by creating tailor made, individually embroidered  Drought Bears.

Organisations and companies who become ‘platinum’ supporters of the Western QLD Drought Appeal  earn a ONE OF A KIND Drought Bear. Platinum members, who donate $10,000 or more to the appeal, receive a One of a Kind Tambo Teddy Drought Bear. The Drought Bears are Mr Stockman Basils whose coats have the luscious green drought appeal logo on their bear-as-a-bone coat and their company name embroidered on the paw. We have also created a special Tambo Ted for Gold members who donate over $5,000.

Two of these special Drought Bears took a trip this week, heading off to Brisbane for a meeting with Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.  Flying on Qantaslink from Longreach with the Chairman of the Drought Committee, David Phelps, the Bears had the opportunity to check out the cockpit before landing in Brisbane where they navigated the air-train and headed into Brisbane Central.

Dr Phelps presented one of the bears, Toolmaree Tyler, to Premier Palaszczuk, and the other, Tambo Station Timothy, to the Rural Press Club.

If you would like to support the Drought Appeal you can contact the Committee by emailing admin@wqda.org.au  for more information.