Working in some of the most remote areas of Australia comes with unique challenges, one of the main challenges can be modes of transport to effectively coordinate all our programs. In remote communities’ transportation can be the blood line of all services and Wanta is not the exception.

Many of our youth-based programs include transporting students daily to school sometimes traveling over 100kms a day, offering reward trips across the Northern Territory and interstate, teaching driver education and helping families in need. Most of these trips are done on dirt roads that can be challenging to navigate and require a minimum of four-wheel drive capability.

Another hurdle we face is most of our contract guidelines and varied funding models do not allow for the purchase of major assets such as vehicles. This contributes to the challenges of sourcing the right vehicles needed for all our delivered activities. This was exacerbated throughout the pandemic period when the supply chain issues stalled access to parts and maintenance making it almost impossible to continue our current vehicle leases.

The Wanta Board decided we should endeavour to purchase vehicles to hopefully solve some of these issues and to enhance programs efficiency and longevity. Wanta had to reach out to the greater community for funding support to make this happen and are incredibly grateful to our long-term donors Simpson Construction and the Sunshine Foundation. Both groups when learning about the hardships of the communities in which Wanta works immediately began sourcing financial support to donate funds to help Wanta purchase suitable vehicles for our programs.

Thus far the vehicles have been utilised in delivering learning on country programs, community events, delivering pandemic support packages, school pickups/drop offs, after school engagement programs and transportation to medical appointments and sites of employment.

Wanta is incredibly grateful for your continued support, to help make sure we can continue to provide for those most in need.

Written by Demian Coates, Wanta CEO.