Fastway Couriers franchisee Warrick Peake has organised a relief effort for residents of the Tasmanian communities affected by the recent spate of bushfires.

Peake, who is a Wide Bay resident, encourages locals to contribute to the relief by donating “any unwanted, quality, non-perishable goods” that they may have by dropping them off at the company’s Bundaberg North depot.

These may include clothing, food, manchester and small electrical goods.

Impressively, the effort has already amassed between three and four tonnes of goods, with “plenty more to come.”

It is important that locals planning on donating to the cause do so soon, as the company asks that they drop them off no later than Friday, 18 January.

This will allow for the goods to be shipped down to Tasmania in a timely fashion.

“The Wide Bay community has still got memories of the Queensland Floods fresh in our minds.  We want to support other Australians in the same way they supported us when we needed it,” says Peake.

He explains that the idea came about a week ago when the company began receiving calls from locals asking if it could ship supplies down to Tasmania.

“Naturally, we said we could and that we’d do it for free. News started spreading by word of mouth and suddenly goods are coming in from all around Maryborough, Bundaberg, Hervey Bay and beyond. The response has been astonishing,” he said.

The Tasmanian bushfires destroyed over 110,000 hectares of land and more than 130 homes, and according to The Australian, many have described the bushfires “as the worst in almost half a century.”

Dunalley is said to be the worst affected town, having lost half of its buildings and a local primary school, along with the towns of Murdunna and Nubeena.

It is expected that these residents will receive some of the goods donated by locals in the Wide Bay area.