Highlights from the Mallee Machinery Field Days

Many CFA members took part in the recent Mallee Machinery Field Days

 

More than 400 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, deep in District 18, you will discover the delightful rural town of Speed.

 

With a population of nearly 80, Speed transformed into a bustling hub in early August, hosting more than 8,500 visitors when the local Lions Club and various community groups hosted one of the largest events in the Mallee.

Founded in 1979, the Mallee Machinery Field Days is a significant event on the agricultural calendar, attracting over 350 agriculture businesses to showcase their products. Today, the Field Days have gained widespread respect within the industry, attracting a crowd keen to explore the latest equipment and gather technical insights to support modern broadacre farming. Families often attend, making it more than just a day away from the farm.

This event also serves as a vital fundraising opportunity for local clubs, with members from the school, kindergarten, and football club managing catering stations, channelling funds back into enhancing their facilities.

As you stroll around the site, you'll encounter CFA members at every turn. From event organisers to ground crew, our members tirelessly contribute to the success of this occasion.

Strengthening community relationships

For CFA, this event is a golden opportunity to strengthen relationships. It’s outside the office where we connect, share news, and gauge predictions for the upcoming season, allowing us to truly understand the realities faced by our members. The Community Safety team uses this opportunity to engage with some of our most remote and isolated Victorians, who are often hard to reach. These events allow us to speak to newcomers who may not be familiar with their local risks or support systems, young people eager to contribute to their communities, and small schools striving to provide the best for their students.

Our residents appreciate that we take the time to come and see them in person, helping them understand and apply CFA’s safety messages to their unique situations.

Highlights from the event

This year’s display was a collaborative effort, tailored to address local risks effectively. Around the site:

• Officers from the Vegetation Management team spoke to attendees about upcoming plans to help prepare for fire season, emphasising the significance of these preventive measures.
• The side by side burn vehicle showcased innovations in burn practices, gaining lots of interest from attendees.
• Community Engagement Coordinators used our Mobile Education Unit to conduct residential fire safety sessions, with smoke alarm and kitchen fire demonstrations drawing in curious attendees over the two-day event.

Inside the marquee:

• CFA's virtual reality unit, FLAIM, captivated teenage visitors, allowing them to experience a firefighter's world firsthand.
• The Ouyen Fire Brigade promoted their Fire Equipment Maintenance options for local businesses.
• Information on preventing haystack fires was available, including samples of handheld and remote monitoring devices for growers.
• The efforts of local brigades during the 2024-25 fire season was on show, with a photo exhibit collated by Speed Fire Brigade Captain Phil Down.
• We showcased our most adorable appliance in the fleet, Sunraysia Group’s Little Tanker, attracting under-10s and their parents who eagerly dressed up to roleplay as tanker drivers and firefighters.

Members from across the North West Region team, including Captain Koala, engaged with visitors, providing safety information on a range of topics. Our local Member of Parliament even stopped by the site for a friendly chat with our AFCO.

The team thoroughly enjoyed the event, especially when we were honoured as the 2025 Best Small Site. For football fans, the award was presented by the National Australia Bank alongside former Geelong AFL player Tom Hawkins.

 

Submitted by	Emily Caruso - Community Engagement Coordinator District 18