About Us

Murwillumbah CORE is a registered charity and grassroots, community run organisation that formed during the 2022 floods in Murwillumbah, NSW. It is an incorporated association (ABN 35 266 821 003) with ACNC charity registration and has DGR status, meaning all donations are tax deductible.

As an incorporated association comprising local volunteers, M|CORE aspires to extend beyond immediate disaster response. Our mission encompasses disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. We strive for permanence, aiming to secure a dedicated space where the community can find support during all phases of disaster.

Please donate if you would like to support our team in continuing to provide essential services to our community and assisting people in rebuilding their lives and livelihoods in the medium to long-term.

Current Executive Committee

  • Head and shoulders portrait of a woman in a black shirt.

    Katrina Semple

    PRESIDENT / TREASURER

  • Head and shoulders portrait of a woman in a blue vest.

    Leesa Hallahan

    VICE - PRESIDENT

  • Head and shoulders portrait of a woman in a white top with a garden background.

    Kathy Nolan

    SECRETARY

History of Murwillumbah CORE

This volunteer group has arisen to help the local residents of Murwillumbah, who had experienced their worst flood to date in Feb '22, along with many other towns in Northern Rivers, NSW. This group was crucial in co-ordinating the abundance of spontaneous volunteers and donations that flowed into the town and sending them directly to the locals in need.

Aerial view of the Tweed river in flood and Murwillumbah, showing the extent of the flood water's reach and its impact on the surrounding area.

As shown in many other Northern Rivers regional towns suffering the same circumstances, where other hubs have also evolved, it takes a village to help ourselves.

When electricity, communication and roads are cut, it is up the locals to find a way to help each other out. So, a group comes together to co-ordinate it all.

When the various levels of government offer to help, it is usually financially, and a lot of boxes need to be ticked. So in the last two years we have ticked those boxes and cut through the red tape and evolved into what it is today…..Murwillumbah CORE.

This has opened many doors for us to directly help our locals and to strive to create a more resilient community, in all phases of a natural disaster. Since the 2022 flood, we have helped numerous local residents in both response and recovery phases.

Once the clean-up was under control, our hub was established with the wonderful help of Anglicare (locally known as Hub2484) in Murwillumbah St. We then helped with the co-ordination of funds via Givit and Anglicare directly to our local residents, to enable them to rebuild their homes and lives.

A diverse group of individuals sitting at tables with laptops, engaged in coordinating flood recovery in Murwillumbah.

Our hub and hard-working volunteers were also able to offer companionship and respite, with craft, cooking and choir activities; a place for deep conversation and for assistance in moving forward.

With lack of funding for general overheads, we have had to close the hub doors for the time being.

But we are still working hard behind the scenes. After helping many residents back into their homes, it is now time for preparedness and resilience.

By utilising grants for purchase of equipment for use by our community and, implementing more efficient systems of co-ordination for residents and volunteers, our current aim is to help with smoother response and recovery phases.

With this organisation forming in a time of crisis, our volunteers have been working under high-stress and adrenalin from the beginning. Each phase brings new challenges. And most volunteers need to still work. So it is not unreasonable to expect our volunteers to burn out or that life just simply gets too busy. Over the past two years, every member and committee have brought their own unique skills and time to the table….all on a volunteer basis. Every one of the previous members have helped in the making of Murwillumbah CORE today. We are forever grateful for your input.

MCore emerged from volunteer and donations hubs that actively aided the community during the 2022 floods. Staffed by dedicated local volunteers, these hubs provided essential services during the response phase, from matching skilled volunteers with affected households to distributing daily hot meals and offering trauma support.

Transitioning into the recovery phase, MCore's Hub 2484 continued to provide vital assistance. This included coordinating ongoing donations, offering psycho-social support, engaging in fundraising initiatives, providing case management, and serving as an information hub for referrals to other stakeholders.

  • After the flood in Feb ’22, I was so overwhelmed by shock and fatigue, that I could not have done that massive clean-up on my own.  Hub2484 were my my life-line to help.  They were totally responsible in directing volunteers to my home until the job was done, and providing me with re-assurance that I was not alone.  I am not in so much of a hurry to leave the area anymore knowing this group is still around. I was so grateful to them that I was then happy to join their Board as Treasurer!

    -K Semple

  • HUB2484 was an invaluable source of support, providing essential items, assistance, and kindness after the 2022 flood. My entire street was devastated, with water reaching chest height in our homes. Knowing we had a place to turn to whenever we needed anything was a true lifesaver—both for our well-being and peace of mind. Not only in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, but also throughout the year it took to regain stable housing.

    L Hallahan

  • There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.

    - Margaret J Wheatley