Annual Christmas gift drive delivers presents for disaster impacted communities on NSW's Mid North Coast

Tuesday 16 December 2025: Australian Red Cross and Qantas have come together to spread festive cheer to flood-impacted communities on the NSW Mid North Coast, as part of their annual Christmas Gift Drive.   

Decorated with a special Christmas livery, QantasLink’s festive Q400 'Dasher-8' touched down at Port Macquarie Airport on Tuesday morning, loaded with presents for students and families in Coopernook and Kempsey.

Now in its fourth year, the annual Christmas gift drive aims to brighten Christmas for communities recovering from natural disasters. This year’s effort comes as the Mid North Coast region continues to rebuild, with up to 10,000 homes damaged and more than 50,000 people evacuated or isolated during flooding earlier this year. Local community members, including Australian Red Cross volunteers, continue to work tirelessly to support residents in the aftermath of the disaster. 

This year marks the biggest donation in the campaign’s history, with Qantas team members donated hundreds of presents for children across four local schools, the biggest donation in the campaigns history. The special delivery included toys, books and boardgames, as well as a collection of Australian Red Cross’ much loved ‘Trauma Teddies’, which have been hand-knitted by Australian Red Cross members and volunteers.   

After being offloaded at the airport, the presents were transported to schools in Coopernook and Kempsey on the back of a fleet of vehicles thanks to Australian Red Cross partners, Ford, arriving just in time for Christmas.   

Australian Red Cross Director QLD Collin Sivalingum said many families in the Mid North Coast are still feeling the impacts of the devastating floods hit the area in May this year.

"Gestures like this gift drive can make a real difference for children, and communities, who’ve had a tough year. Australian Red Cross have been supporting the region since the earliest days of the disaster - from evacuation centres to reconnecting families and helping people navigate the long road to recovery" said Mr Sivalingum.

“Standing alongside Qantas again this Christmas demonstrates the strength of a partnership built on compassion and community. Their staff have given so generously, and their ongoing commitment helps us reach communities faster and support them for as long as it takes."

The support from all parts of the community has been nothing short of inspiring, with Mid North Coast local, George Miedecke, Dealer Principal Miedecke Motor Group (Ford) saying “as a local business, we wanted to do our part for our community. Our staff, customers and families all live here, and we saw firsthand how tough these floods were on the people we care about.

“Helping Australian Red Cross transport gifts to local schools was something we were proud to step up and do, and it’s great to see partners like Qantas and Red Cross working together to bring a bit of joy back to families after such a difficult year.”

Port Macquarie Hastings Mayor Adam Roberts said it was an “honour” to host Qantas and Australian Red Cross as they delivered hundreds of Christmas gifts to schoolchildren who have experienced hardship from the flooding events in May.

“To have a specially chartered Qantas flight land at Port Macquarie Airport to distribute gifts for children in Kempsey and Coopernook, which were hit incredibly hard by the mid-year floods, is a wonderful way to demonstrate Christmas spirit,” Mayor Roberts said.

“Our entire Mid North Coast region suffered from the devasting wild weather, and we are more than willing to be part of a unified effort to bring some festive cheer to these children."

 

Qantas and Australian Red Cross partnership: 

The Christmas Gift Drive is part of Qantas’ ongoing partnership with Australian Red Cross’ to bolster its response to emergencies nationwide. Qantas and Australian Red Cross commenced a three-year partnership in mid-2024 to enable Australian Red Cross personnel to travel around Australia for humanitarian work reducing significant costs and facilitating a quicker response for communities in crisis. 

By donating to Australian Red Cross or signing up to volunteer, you can make a meaningful difference for families still rebuilding from disasters. Every contribution - time, skills or funds - strengthens local resilience and ensures support reaches those who need it most. 

 

Media Enquiries:  

• Qantas: +61 418 210 005 or qantasmedia@qantas.com.au  

• Australian Red Cross: 1800 733 443 or media@redcross.org.au