FEDERAL Member for Bonner Kara Cook has praised the work of Tingalpa charity Save Our Supplies, highlighting its growing impact across the Pacific and its deep roots in the local community.
Ms Cook visited the organisation, meeting founder Claire Lane, CEO Tracey Scanlan, staff and volunteers to see firsthand how the small but determined team is preventing unused medical supplies from ending up in landfill.
Instead, after consultation with health professionals, the items are redirected to under resourced hospitals and clinics across Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Nauru, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Samoa, Kiribati and Tonga.
For a charity operating out of Brisbane’s east, the scale of its reach is striking.
In 2025 alone, Save Our Supplies diverted more than 13 tonnes of medical products from waste, with a further 11 tonnes already collected in the first two months of 2026.
Ms Cook said the organisation’s impact showed what could be achieved when a community rallied behind a practical idea.
“Save Our Supplies is making a real difference by reducing unnecessary medical waste here in Australia while helping deliver critical healthcare supplies to communities that need them most,” she said.
“That’s an extraordinary achievement for a community-based charity operating here in Bonner.”
The visit came during National Volunteer Week, which celebrates the contribution of volunteers across Australia.
Save Our Supplies relies heavily on locals who collect, sort and prepare medical supplies for shipment, and the organisation is encouraging more Queenslanders to get involved.
Ms Cook said the volunteers’ commitment was “changing lives”, adding that the charity embodied the spirit of service being recognised.
Ms Scanlan said the team was grateful for Ms Cook’s visit and the recognition of its work.
“It is a rare combination of supporting sustainable practices across the health care sector within Bonner and across Australia, whilst also proactively supporting our neighbours across PNG and the Pacific Region,” she said.
“We couldn’t achieve our mission without the invaluable support of our volunteers.”
The charity continues to expand its operations as demand for medical supplies grows across the region.
