These iconic long-weekend pit stops have saved countless lives. But they are now harder to find
The SES did not have historical figures for Driver Reviver volunteer numbers, nor total hours dedicated per year. Some SES numbers were also rough estimates due to incomplete records.
Fast facts about the Driver Reviver program
About 220 sites dotted Australia in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Now, there are 175 sites and only 160 remain operational – a 27.3 per cent drop.
New sites since 2023 include: Hinchinbrook (QLD), Campbelltown (TAS), Geurie (NSW), Mount Barker (WA), Springsure (QLD), Orford (TAS).
Closed sites since 2023 include: Stawell (VIC), Gingin (WA), Kangaroo Valley (NSW), Port Pirie (SA), Williams (SA).
Source: VICSES
'The main reasons for Driver Reviver closures over the decades is a combination of urban growth and road infrastructure upgrades, including bypasses and service centres with commercial operations that can substitute Driver Reviver with improved amenities,' the SES briefing note said.
'Shorter routes and speed limit increases are also getting people away from the city quicker.'
Allan and Rhonda McCormac founded the national Driver Reviver network in 1989, bringing together a patchwork of independent roadside rest hubs before expanding further.
The couple retired in 2022 and handed oversight to Victoria's SES, which works with Lions Clubs and other community groups to staff the sites.
Allan McCormac, 83, says the decline in Driver Reviver sites was not necessarily a bad thing if roads were being made safer and people were resting elsewhere.
'It's dynamic, and it needs to change all the time to suit new roads,' he says. 'There are new freeways put in that mean that some of the old sites become redundant.'
McCormac believes Driver Reviver still offers something unique compared to service stations.
'The people stopping are engaging with the volunteers, and that builds our culture,' he says. 'And that's something you don't get in a commercial operation.'
Pandemic restrictions, however, hurt face-to-face volunteering and forced dozens of Driver Reviver sites to shutter.
The SES says some sites, such as a stop in Stawell, permanently closed in the last two years as volunteering failed to recover after the pandemic. However, the agency says new and reactivated sites surpassed closures.
'Whilst overall volunteer numbers have remained fairly consistent in recent years, VICSES units across the state are always looking for new volunteers,' a spokesperson said.
This King's Birthday weekend, the SES reports 71 sites will be active across Australia at different times, including 36 in NSW, 22 in Queensland, 10 in Victoria and three in South Australia.
The Victorian sites are Avenel, Balmattum Northbound, Balmattum Southbound, Dimboola, Dunkeld, Lismore, Marong, Rushworth, and Seymour.
Hot tea and coffee is served without a lid, so drivers must stick around and take a longer break to finish it, rather than hitting the road immediately.
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