NSW SES Members strike a chord with festivalgoers at the Tamworth Country Music Festival

Editor’s note: A clip of the unreleased song and photos are available via hightail – https://spaces.hightail.com/space/l5wtzwn2F7  

More than 40 volunteers from Tamworth, Manilla and Armidale Units are using the 10-day event, which attracts people from all over Australia, to educate people about storm and flood risks and how they can prepare, respond and recover from severe weather.  

With upwards of 6,000 people camping in low-lying areas adjacent to the Peel River during the festival, SES volunteers have been completing regular patrols to assess site conditions and monitor weather forecasts and river levels for any potential impacts. 

NSW SES Community Capability Officer James Weighman said local volunteers also deployed an all-terrain vehicle to the campsites to advise campers of the risks ahead of severe thunderstorms last weekend.  

“We saw a significant amount of rain in a two-hour period, and campers were advised to stay across the latest warnings and pack things away if the situation escalated,” Mr Weighman said. 

“We also handed out information sheets with images of the campsite being waist deep in water during the August 2025 flood event to visually explain to those new to the area what could happen.” 

In a special moment of recognition, country music artist Anthony Snape dedicated a song to NSW SES volunteers to acknowledge their efforts in supporting the community. 

“I love writing songs that bring people together and the SES is such an incredible organisation that are present in local communities right across the country,” Mr Snape said. 

“I’ve lived in Nashville and I’ve toured all over the world, but there’s something really special about performing here with the people that are working really hard to keep everyone safe.” 

Mr Weighman said while NSW SES volunteers weren’t at the festival for recognition, the song dedication was a meaningful gesture for the volunteers in attendance. 

“Our members do it because they are community minded, but to see that commitment recognised through a country song at an event like this reinforces how valued our volunteers are."  

About seven new members have also been recruited to the NSW SES Tamworth Unit during the music festival, bolstering local capacity even further for future floods, storms and rescue calls.  

The NSW SES tent at the Tamworth Country Music Festival is located at the entrance to Bicentennial Park. Festivalgoers are encouraged to drop by and say hello to the team.