Former truckie to ride on into Wagga as part of trek to 'Mow Down MND'

The former truckie arrived in Griffith on Wednesday on a journey collecting signatures for a petition he hopes to hand the Prime Minister in Canberra next week, calling for the government to make Motor Neurone Disease a notifiable disease.

An MND sufferer himself, Mr Acott and his team of supporters got to work in Griffith on Thursday, before chugging off to meet more of the community at the Leeton Hotel by 6pm on Friday.

On Saturday, he will venture to Wagga, where he will have a rest day on Sunday, before heading on to Gundagai, Yass and finally Canberra.

Mr Acott, who began the trek from his home town of Toolleen in northern Victoria, said while Griffith wasn't initially part of the 'Mow Down MND' trek, he felt it was extremely important to visit the city given its status of being an MND hotspot.

"To make this disease notifiable would make such a huge difference for everyone, especially people in the MIA," he said.

"It means everyone who gets it would be recorded and there would be more funding for studies into it.

"Here in Griffith the figures are out of control and that's why we added the extra 200 kilometres to come here.

"Nationally over 800 people per year pass away from it and over 800 per year get it.

"We need the government to do everything it can."

Mr Acott said the research efforts of Macquarie University professor Dominic Rowe, along with Let's Talk MND podcaster Jane Simpson, have inspired him to make the journey.

"I haven't met Professor Rowe but I know the work he has done has been absolutely incredible," he said.

Mr Acott said the generosity of the communities he has visited has been overwhelming.

"People have been so generous with their donations, but our key goal is to raise awareness," he said.

"But every cent will be accounted for and will go towards supporting the cause."

Mr Acott's daughter, Belinda, said her father has never asked for help in his life but she knew it was time to do just that.

"This is something dad really wanted to do; be out in open spaces and on the road again," she said.

With some 20 pages of signatures so far - 100 collected from Coleambally alone - many more are still needed and the team is urging the community to jot down their names.

In the meantime, Mr Acott had an important message for the Anthony Albanese.

"I remember Mr Albanese mentioned during his campaign that he grew up in housing commission. So did I," he said.

"I want him to never forget where he came from and his mates.

"I want him to come back to where he started and meet one of his mates when I get to Canberra. That's what Australians do, we look after each other."

Member for Murray Helen Dalton, who has long advocated for funding into the disease, saluted Mr Acott's efforts.

"Warren's inventive [approach] to make it notifiable is absolutely wonderful and he is doing a fantastic job raising awareness," Mrs Dalton said.

"The issue of MND in Griffith is on the minds of everyone.

"The rates are increasing enormously and we believe there are environmental factors involved, including blue-green algae outbreaks.

"I have written to state and federal government to also make MND notifiable.

"To have it on the register is one of the first things that should be done so we can track and manage it."