A friendly wager between six country mayors has seen Hunter Valley vaccination rates surge and led to a $1,200 donation to the region's rescue helicopter service.
Upper Hunter Shire Mayor Maurice Collison issued the challenge to his colleagues in the Dungog, Liverpool Plains, Muswellbrook, Singleton and Mid Coast local government areas last month.
Each mayor put $200 from their own pocket on their community to reach the 70 per cent full vaccinated milestone first.
"We were all rising at the time we put the challenge out, but I think it worked it was a talking point," Cr Collison said.
He was proud his community "got across the line first".
"The good part about it is all the local government areas are rising in their first doses and more importantly, the second doses are really really taking off," Cr Collison said.
As of October 18 Muswellbrook Shire was still closing in on the 70 per cent target, according to statistics from the Federal Health Department.
Mayor Rod Scholes laughed at the idea that the Upper Hunter should have had a handicap.
"I think Maurice set me up a bit when we went into this bet — I think he was about 10 points in front, but congratulations to the Upper Hunter on achieving the high vaccination rates that they did," he said.
Cr Scholes said the Muswellbrook community is now "surging ahead".
"We are lagging a bit with second doses but that's only because our run was left a bit late," he said.
The latest statistics have Upper Hunter Shire residents at 84.8 per cent fully vaccinated, Dungog at 76.1 per cent, Mid Coast 73.8 per cent, Singleton 72.7 per cent, Liverpool Plains 72.5 per cent and Muswellbrook 68.6 per cent fully vaccinated.
Wager a win for emergency service
Cr Collision said the leaders decided to donate the pot to the region's rescue helicopter service.
"The helicopter covers the whole range of all our LGAs and we did have a patient transported [recently] with COVID," he said.
The service's chief executive, Richard Jones OAM, said the team was thrilled to be "top of mind".
"It's really heartwarming and we're ever humbled by the thoughts of people," he said.
Mr Jones said local communities "started the service" as a charitable organisation with one aircraft in 1975.
He said the service had entered a contract with NSW Health to support about 80 per cent of costs.
"We have four aircraft on deck now that are worth $18 million each and for us to go out [to the community] and say, 'You need to raise that amount of money' — that's just ludicrous.
Mr Jones also praised the Scone Associated Agents, which had been running a program through the local saleyards.
"Farmers can donate a couple of beasts and the agents will sell and there's no fees," he said.
