From the National Bushfire Recovery Agency Coordinator, Andrew Colvin No images? Click here Bushfire Recovery News – Edition 17From the National Bushfire Recovery Agency CoordinatorWelcome to the latest edition of our newsletter. In addition to communities affected by the 2019-20 bushfires, our thoughts have been with the communities impacted by bushfires in Western Australia (WA). If you have been affected, please call the WA Department of Communities Disaster Response Hotline on 1800 032 965 or visit the Services Australia website for information on disaster recovery payments. There is a range of help available to those feeling the emotional impact of the fires – see the support available on our website, or call Lifeline’s dedicated bushfire support line on 13 43 57. I was on the road during the first week of March, visiting councils and communities in Byron Bay, Ballina, Lismore, Richmond Valley, Clarence Valley, Walcha, Muswellbrook, Blue Mountains and Lithgow. As always, it is a privilege to meet with bushfire-affected communities and this visit was a wonderful opportunity to witness bushfire recovery firsthand. Some things have been said in recent media about how bushfire recovery money is not going to those who need it quickly enough, or is not being spent. Some of the claims I’ve seen are just not true. I don’t want these inaccuracies to diminish hope. Bushfire recovery money is flowing across the country and enabling recovery to progress. You can see that on the funding page on our website. We update it every month, so you can see what’s happening for yourself. I see the impact of bushfire recovery efforts in every community I visit – whether it is businesses still trading because a grant helped them through, people getting involved in wellbeing activities, primary producers erecting new fences and replacing critical infrastructure, or projects kicking off to boost jobs and the local economy. I hear from councils and communities about the long-term resilience and preparedness work they are investing in, both as a recovery activity and to protect against future disaster events. It is so encouraging and uplifting to see new homes emerge from the rubble, to hear about businesses diversifying and moving forward, or to see the excitement that is generated when a native animal feared extinct has been spotted looking strong and healthy. You can see from our funding page that, in a single month, an extra $200 million in Commonwealth funding flowed to bushfire affected communities and individuals. That’s paying for things including:
As you’d expect for a long term recovery effort, there is still money to be spent from the National Bushfire Recovery Fund. Our community engagement has left us with a clear message; recovery takes time and support needs to be elongated to provide for this. I am also very conscious that not every individual’s recovery experience is the same. I know people are still hurting, some communities still struggling, and there is much more for us to do. We’re here to help get it done. If you’re facing a recovery challenge and you need help, please get in touch with one of our Recovery Support Officers. As I meet people around the country who are persevering through recovery, I feel inspired and hopeful. I hope the stories we share in this edition inspire you too. If you have a story from the Black Summer bushfires that would you like to share, please let us know at communications@bushfirerecovery.gov.au Until next time, take care. Andrew Colvin National Bushfire Recovery Coordinator In this edition
Community chatsCommunity visits continue to help the NBRA gain first-hand insight on how the bushfire-affected communities are travelling on their paths to recovery. National Coordinator Andrew Colvin and NBRA staff at Martindale Creek with Pauline Skyes from Martindale Creek Landcare Group (Source: NBRA) National Coordinator Andrew Colvin travelled to Byron Bay, Ballina, Lismore, Casino, Evans Head, New Italy, Ewingar, Malabuglimah, Maclean, Grafton, Walcha, Muswellbrook, Martindale, Springwood, Lithgow and Bilpin in mid-March. Communities and councils are undertaking bushfire recovery activities in innovative and thoughtful ways. Examples include the hosting of farm-dog training to encourage farmers to come together while learning important skills, the repair of much-loved local mountain bike tracks, the eradication of weeds in vital environmental corridors and the upgrading of local showgrounds to double as evacuation points for people and larger animals. “It is clear that real consideration has been given to what will work best for each particular community” said Andrew. “One of the NBRA’s main considerations is to ensure a community-led recovery, and these visits are a wonderful opportunity for me to see this unfolding.” Major General Andrew Hocking speaking with staff at Kingscote Bee Hive during his visit to Kangaroo Island (Credit: NBRA) Major General Andrew Hocking travelled to Kangaroo Island, South Australia with state government partners. During the three day visit, Major General Hocking met with community and local government leaders across the island, as well as members from the local apiary (beehive farms), farming and mental health services industries. Major General Hocking received updates, not only on the Island’s recovery to date, but also on how COVID-19 added to the challenges faced by local communities. “It’s great to catch up in person with council members and locals on the Island, together with our partners at the South Australian Government, to hear firsthand the stories of recovery, and where their journey will now take them,” said Major General Hocking. To read more about the visit, click here. Liaison Network spotlight - Ricky Ross, Recovery Support Officer, East GippslandNBRA RSO Ricky Ross (Source: NBRA) Ricky Ross remembers his visits to East Gippsland as a child. “I’m originally from Latrobe City Gippsland, but my family and I ventured down to East Gippsland many times as my parents owned a holiday home there. Ever since the 1960s, I would regularly holiday in the region – particularly around Eagle Point, Bemm River and Mallacoota.” Ricky now lives in Eagle Point. These experiences helped connect Ricky to the region well before he joined the NBRA. Following the Black Saturday bushfires of 2009, Ricky, who was at the time working for Victoria Police, was appointed the inaugural Regional Emergency Management Police Inspector for Gippsland. His role was to enhance the skills and knowledge of regional police officers so they could carry out their Police Emergency Management responsibilities and also ensure response and recovery agencies worked effectively together during emergencies. Ricky would later retire from Victoria Police in 2017 and spent some time volunteering in East Gippsland. He spent over two years working with a group of dedicated community citizens to build a 50 bed drug and alcohol residential rehabilitation centre in the region. The Black Summer bushfires of 2019-20 prompted Ricky to get involved, once again, with bushfire recovery work. “After the bushfires, everyone wanted to help. And that’s exactly what I wanted to do when I joined the NBRA in April 2020.” Working alongside Bushfire Recovery Victoria, East Gippsland Shire, not-for-profits and community members, Ricky has contributed to recovery work in East Gippsland. In addition to his day-to-day work, including responding to enquiries and liaising with community members, he’s quick to highlight that listening to stories of those affected by the fires is one of his most important duties as a Recovery Support Officer (RSO). “I make sure that I exhaust all enquiries to ensure that they’re offered the best possible support that’s available to them.” The work undertaken by Ricky, as well as the rest of RSOs spread across Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, and Queensland, are integral to helping those recovering from the Black Summer bushfires. Salvos mobile support to bushfire-affected communitiesThe Salvation Army Mobile Bushfire Disaster Recovery Winnebago on a stop in Cobargo, NSW (Source: The Salvation Army) This year, the Salvation Army's Mobile Bushfire Disaster Recovery teams have been visiting with bushfire-affected communities in New South Wales and Victoria. For more information contact the Salvation Army at sal.disasters@salvationarmy.org.au or 1300 662 217. More Local Economic Recovery Projects announcedSince the last newsletter, successful Local Economic Recovery (LER) projects have been announced for Victoria, South Australia and Queensland. The projects will create jobs, grow tourism, upgrade infrastructure, support entrepreneurship and innovation, and ultimately boost economic recovery in communities hit hard by the 2019-20 bushfires. NSW Bushfire Legal Aid SchemeSource: Legal Aid NSW) If you are an eligible small business owner or primary producer in NSW, your solicitor can apply for funding under the Bushfire Legal Aid Scheme. The scheme can provide $2,000 to assist you to resolve legal matters arising from the 2019/20 bushfires, and up to $5,000 for related expenses like expert reports. Additional funding is available in reasonable circumstances. If you have more than one bushfire related legal problem your solicitor may receive separate funding for each problem. The funding is available for legal issues including, but not limited to: The Bushfire Legal Aid Scheme is funded by the Australian Government to support private lawyers to provide legal services to NSW small business owners and primary producers. For information on how to apply, contact your local solicitor, call the Legal Aid NSW Disaster Response Legal
Service on 1800 801 529 or email disaster.response@legalaid.nsw.gov.au. Strengthening Rural Communities programA community group in South Australia undertaking training in how to erect a mobile shelter (Source: the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal’s (FRRR) Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) grants program provides funding to community-led and community-focused initiatives, such as infrastructure projects and community resource development projects, in remote, rural and regional communities. NSW Recovery Support Services for bushfire-affected communities extended to end of 2021In New South Wales, the Recovery Support Services model connects people to their own personalised support worker, who can help people navigate and access a range of services and disaster assistance. The NSW Recovery Support Services program has been extended until the end of 2021. An additional $8.2 million in joint funding from the Australian and NSW Governments ensures that locally-based services will be available for the rest of the year. To find out more about the Recovery Support Services program read this factsheet on the Emergency NSW website. 'Open for Business' recovery video seriesLocals featured in the 'Open for Business' video series (Source: NBRA) ‘Open for Business’ is a 15-part video series showcasing stories of recovery and resilience across bushfire-affected communities in NSW, QLD, SA, and VIC. Recovery event held in WollondillyNBRA Recovery Support Officer, Kim Hill, at a stall alongside members of the Wollondilly Shire Council (Source: NBRA) In early February, the Wollondilly Shire Council hosted a bushfire recovery event for Wollondilly locals. Support for the event was provided by the NBRA and Resilience NSW. Recovery underway for winery in SAFrom left: Clare Anderson touring her winery with Sally Harding, NBRA Recovery Support Officer (Source: NBRA) Remembering the Black Summer fires approaching their property where she and her family live and run their winery still provokes raw emotion for Clare Anderson. “We’d had four days of really hot weather, over 40 degrees, but no wind,” Clare relates. “I woke up that morning and was going to water the veggie patch, but something didn’t feel right. I checked my phone and there was a fire at Cudlee Creek.” The impact of the Adelaide Hills fires on the Anderson's business was significant. They lost almost half of their grape vines and most of the remaining grapes were spoiled due to smoke taint. “It will take three or four years to replace the lost vines,” said Clare. Clare and her husband, Ben, have strong ties to their local community – both in Lenswood where their winery is located, and in the broader area, having grown up in the Adelaide Hills. “I’ve seen a huge amount of mental health support in our community. Having locals come up here and talk to each other is probably the most useful thing they can do. Just to tell their stories and talk to others who understand,” Clare said. The Andersons have also seen a lot of practical support within the community. They also received a lot of support themselves as they began to rebuild. “I got on Facebook and within half an hour had 30 volunteers to help pull out burned irrigation and posts in the vineyard,” said Clare. Through the assistance provided at the Lobethal Recovery Centre, the Andersons received the $75,000 primary producer grant to go towards restoring their business. “Recovery has been a slow process,” said Clare. “Insurance has been slow coming, and we are so thankful for the grant that has allowed us to keep the business operating.” To read the full story visit the NBRA website. For information on the various supports available to bushfire-affected small businesses, talk to your local Recovery Support Officer by visiting the NBRA website.
Small business grants save family business in NSWMother and daughter butchers, Barbara and Erica (Source: Vincentia Craft Butchery & Providores) Vincentia Craft Butchery and Providores is a butcher shop run by mother and daughter team, Barbara and Erica, in the coastal town of Vincentia, NSW. Like many other businesses in the region, the shop was heavily affected by the Black Summer bushfires. Barbara and Erica source their produce from surrounding growers and farmers. While the shop wasn’t physically impacted by the fires, the constant road closures and evacuations threatened their supply chain and reduced their sales, with the lack of tourism. “We had deliveries we couldn't get to our shop. We had orders we couldn't deliver, and we had cancellations from the many visitors to the area that were either unable to get through or had to evacuate.” Erica said. “Our farmers and producers were constantly calling, telling us that we had to order double, or triple, than what we normally would, because they would only have one chance to deliver before roads would close.” Barbara and Erica later found out they were eligible for the $10,000 Small Business Grant, jointly funded by the Australian and NSW governments. Within days they were able to pay their suppliers, rent and wages. “It was a huge relief to be able to take away that financial strain so easily,” said Barbara. “It meant locals got paid and it started everyone along their road to recovery.” With businesses regaining their strength, local primary producers in the region also benefit, as more and more people return to the NSW south coast. Watch our recovery video feature on Vincentia Craft Butchery and Providores. For information on the various supports available to bushfire-affected small businesses, talk to your local Recovery Support Officer by visiting the NBRA website. Binna Burra rolls out the green carpet for the start of the Gondwana Festival(Source: John Elliott) More than 200 community representatives, elders, tourism industry and conservationists came together on 1 March to launch the Gondwana Festival at Binna Burra Lodge in QLD. Source: NBRA The festival includes guided walks, talks and wild adventures from the base camps and luxury lodges run throughout March. The Australian Government provided $145,000 from the National Bushfire Recovery Fund to support the festival, under Stream 2 of the Regional Tourism Bushfire Recovery grants. The QLD Government and Scenic Rim Regional Council have also contributed funding. Reflecting and healing through stories and imagesThank you to everyone who entered the Kids New Bushfire poetry competition or sent us your photos as part of the commemorative bushfire book the NBRA is working on with HarperCollins. The poems and photos are your personal stories of resilience and recovery from the Black Summer bushfires, and we appreciate you sharing them. We know that sharing stories of resilience and recovery from the Black Summer bushfires can help others to discover what is possible, and reassure people that they’re not alone in what they went through. Winners of the competition will be announced in April, and the winning works will be included in the upcoming publication. The NBRA will contact people whose photos are selected for inclusion in the book by 30 March 2021. Keep an eye out for updates about the commemorative bushfire book in future newsletters. Contact UsHow to subscribeDo you know someone who wants to receive these updates? They can subscribe at bushfirerecovery.gov.au/news/subscribe You'll find previous editions of the newsletter at the link above. Key contactsEmail us Chat with us online Media enquiries Website Facebook Twitter Update from the National Bushfire Recovery Agency | Edition Number 17, 15 March 2021 |