The past few weeks have been a busy period for the Canowindra SES unit, with the arrival of a new, automatic sand bagging machine and the assistance of certain members with storm clearing duties across the state. , Unit members were also on hand at the search in the Koorawatha area some weeks ago for a missing man. , Local members Wendy Thurtell and Rick Hare attended storm clean up duty in Hornsby, Sydney after recent storms caused havoc, and the unit also assisted during the recent explosive scare in Bathurst, with the help of their new sandbagging machine. , Arriving only a few weeks ago, the Canowindra Unit is now one of only two in the region in possession of such a machine, with the other residing in Bathurst., Worth around $24,000, the sand bagging machine averages around a bag of sand every six seconds., That’s around 100-150 bags of sand an hour, and can be operated faster if needed., The machine can be called to anywhere across the state for service, and although primarily for flood control work, proved very handy in Bathurst when explosives were found in a safe., The Canowindra unit is very proud of the sandbagging machine’s arrival and the difference it will make to flood control in the Canowindra area.