WHEN I started GIVIT six years ago I had one goal - to make giving easy. Following the birth of my son, I was surprised at the struggle trying to donate my second-hand baby clothes to someone in need.

Instead, local charities were searching desperately for essential items such as new underwear for women who had fled domestic violence, steel-capped boots to enable unemployed fathers to secure work, and clean mattresses to stop children sleeping on the floor. I quickly realised it wasn't about overloading charities with items, but instead recognising the specific needs. They had to help pull their clients out of poverty.

I created a platform where everyday Australians can see exactly what items are required by vulnerable members of their local community. Since 2009, GIVIT continued to grow and was inundated in 2011 when Queensland was hit by devastating floods.

Then-Premier Anna Bligh's Premier Department turned to me for help and GIVIT became the State Government's official website for matching donors and recipients so charities weren't swamped with excess goods. When Tropical Cyclone Marcia lashed through the state earlier this year, GIVIT was activated. Almost 15,000 urgently required items such as generators, cleaning equipment and clean water were donated through GIVIT's website to help those affected.

Emergency response crews in one of the worst-affected regions, Biloela, called on GIVIT to supply urgently needed essential items. This community was cut off from power and had almost no communication in or out after around 200 homes were flooded. Within 24 hours, those essential items had been requested through the website, donated by everyday Australians and then with the help of Carefreight, flown directly into Biloela. Care packages were delivered to Kroombit Tops, cleaning products dropped off during food runs and buckets of cleaning items sent to the local school.

I am incredibly proud of GIVIT and the power it has to help Australia's most vulnerable, especially during times of disaster.

In late 2015 and 2016, my team and I will be heavily focused on helping those living in regional, rural and remote areas across Queensland.

My family and I grow cattle and run 1000 breeders at a property just outside of Warwick. Spending time on the property, I have grown an understanding of and empathy towards the land and those working on it - especially the challenges of drought.

I am proud to be announcing The Great Cooee at the QRRWN conference - an inter-agency response to drought in 2016, calling out from one region at a time.