![Moruya Rotary member Phil Armstrong (left) and Eurobodalla District Show Society Treasurer Lindsay Boyton (right) in the new kitchen. Moruya Rotary member Phil Armstrong (left) and Eurobodalla District Show Society Treasurer Lindsay Boyton (right) in the new kitchen.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/156570134/edfa1b10-5090-4b94-8416-a3b6dbabd1e8.JPG/r0_265_5184_3191_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Upgrading the evacuation emergency centre kitchen facilities at Moruya Showground is an international affair.
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During the bushfires, the showground served as a refuge for more than 2000 people, serving meals and providing amenities as they feared for their homes and livelihoods.
However Eurobodalla District Show Society Treasurer Lindsay Boyton said the facilities, particularly the kitchen, where "just too small".
International call to arms
Moruya Rotary saw the need and harnessed the resources of the international Rotary community to help with upgrades to the facility.
The Rotary International Britain and Ireland (RIBI) Disaster Recovery Trust donated $30,000 AUD to the cause, and the Rotary District Recovery Fund covering southern NSW contributed $10,000 - both facilitated by Moruya Rotary. It was matched by a $40,000 federal government Bushfire Recovery Grant.
Moruya Rotary member Phil Armstrong said Rotary had a worldwide perspective.
"A lot of the feedback that came back after the fires was everybody's forgotten about us after a month or two. This is a long term thing," Mr Armstrong said.
"It's about the community feeling that someone else cares about what has happened.
"Upgrading a community facility that can be used for a whole range of different things reminds the community that other people are thinking about them and want to help."
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The new kitchen has an expanded footprint and stainless steel benchtops. A single small household sink has been replaced by multiple industrial-grade sinks and a new entrance allows for a separate entrance and exit.
"It's about creating a place where in an emergency we can look after more people better," Mr Armstrong said.
Since the kitchen upgrades, the facility has been used for equestrian events, wakes and wedding receptions.
The upgrades to the kitchen are almost complete.
The grant also included the construction of a new barn at the showground. Construction will begin on the project in early 2023, after the Agricultural Show.