A $124,500 tractor, purchased by Endeavour Foundation’s Bundaberg social enterprise thanks to two generous donations, is making work easier while improving the career prospects of employees.
From the moment he saw the classic green sheen of Endeavour Foundation’s brand-new five-point-seven tonne John Deere tractor, William “Billy” Bastable had one thought: “I want to drive that!”
Mr Bastable has worked at Endeavour Foundation’s social enterprise in Bundaberg since he left high school six years ago and he loves machines – from the smallest whipper snipper to the largest tractor.
He will be one of the first employees to be trained in how to drive the big and famously green machine, and he has already had a ride inside.
“The tractor will so be useful on the farm – if I don’t crash it into anything,” Mr Bastable said.
“It’s cool in the air-conditioning too and I got ACDC playing on the Bluetooth.”
The 90-horsepower model 6090M John Deere was purchased by Endeavour Foundation for $124,500 thanks to generous donations from Jim Livingstone Fabrications – the Livingstone family competes in the Great Endeavour Rally – and from the Simpson Foundation, known in Bundaberg for Simpson’s Farm.
Endeavour Foundation tractor welcome addition
“We’re very grateful to these two families for a donation of this magnitude,” Site Manager Robert Campbell said.
“We’ve already started to use the tractor and it will be the mainstay of our Bundaberg farm for years to come.
“Being a four-wheel-drive this thing will go anywhere and do just about anything.
“I know our local team is looking at the variety of attachments available to speed up our processes and make the farm even better and more efficient.”
Mr Campbell said the tractor was ideal for training people supported by Endeavour Foundation at work.
“The tractor has 24 gears, but the controls are all electronic, making it much easier for people to learn on,” he said.
“It’s a two-seater cabin so it’s ideal for teaching in and the closed, air-conditioned cabin will be a hit in the Bundaberg summer.
“It’s also an automatic so it means learners can concentrate on where they’re going and see any obstacles in their way, rather than worrying about changing through the gears.
“The new tractor is a real boon and will enable us to ramp up production on our worm farm, which is a relatively new venture creating new avenues of work for our employees.
“We can’t thank the Livingstone family and Walsh Family Trust enough for their generosity.”
Farm employee Blake Kummerow agrees.
He already has a driver’s licence and sees the new tractor as another step on his career ladder, hoping in future to also gain his forklift licence.
“I’ll just get taught how to use it and when I’m capable enough I’ll be able to drive it myself,” Mr Kummerow said.
“It’ll make work easier for sure.”
To find out more about Endeavour Foundation, go to endeavour.com.au or call 1800 112 112.
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