Carlton Meyn said the branch needed between $450,000 to $600,000 a year to run the not-for-profit primary health care which benefited children in regional communities. 

It received $125,000 from the State Government through the Department of Education – the rest was found through fundraising, support through the Cowboys, and the organisation’s own financial management. 

Four BUSHkids staff members were based in Mount Isa.

The branch helped financially struggling families in and around Mount Isa with pathologists, therapists, psychologists and family health support workers. The aim was early intervention for children who were most geographically isolated. 

Mr Meyn mentioned the additional burden of transient staff during a morning tea and cheque presentation with Kennedy’s LNP candidate Jonathan Pavetto, and Senators Joanna Lindgren and Ian Macdonald.

“Two and a half years, if we can get out of people, we’re happy,” Mr Meyn said. 

The “champion” in the community was needed to lead Friends of BUSHkids – which other branches including Warwick, Bundaberg and Dalby had. 

“We need someone to lead us. The (former) mayor used to help us a lot...we want people in the community come out and say ‘this is a good community organisation’.” 

Senator Ian Macdonald recommended Mount Isa Mayor Joyce McCulloch as a possible champion, as well as LNP candidate Jonathan Pavetto if he became the federal member for Kennedy. 

Mr Pavetto said more was needed to support BUSHKids and that he would be willing to help them locally or in Canberra if he had the support of North West voters. 

“They (BUSHKids) are saying that for every child they support there is four they have to turn away, and that’s just not good enough.”