Bushfire Fund Appoints Community Advisory Committee

The Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund has appointed a Community Advisory Committee to provide advice on how to distribute $16 million to medium to long term community projects.

The CAC is made up of seven community members, chaired by Alan Brown, a former Victorian Coalition leader and Government Minister who, since retiring from State Parliament in 1996, served as Victoria’s Agent-General in the United Kingdom and has been involved in a number of charitable community projects.

Brown says the Fund set aside a $16 million allocation to assist with medium to long term community recovery and the CAC would provide expert advice and insight to the VBAF panel about the priority needs of the community during this phase of recovery.

He says the recovery process for bushfire-affected communities as a result of the 2009 bushfires is ongoing and in some cases, this process may continue for years to come.

He says the VBAF panel decided very soon after the bushfires that it was important to put measures in place to ensure the medium to long term recovery needs of communities were met.

Many community projects have been successfully undertaken over the past two years. However, he says there are still many areas of medium to long term need that will benefit from this VBAF funding.

Alan Brown says the Community Advisory Committee, which will closely assess community needs from on the ground and up close, will be an asset to the panel in its aim of ensuring funds go to areas of unmet medium to long term need.

The CAC's seven community members are:

• Ange Gordon, former chairperson of the Traralgon South and District Association Community Recovery Committee (CRC) and current vice president Traralgon South and District Association
• Bill Gale, current chairperson of the Kinglake Ranges CRC
• Tony Thompson, current chairperson of the Marysville and Triangle CRC
• Bronwyn South, treasurer of the Strathewen Community Renewal Association, a trustee of the Strathewen Community Renewal Association Bushfire Relief Trust Fund, and president of the Strathewen Landcare Group
• Jennifer Wood, member of the Marysville and Triangle CRC and treasurer of the Narbethong Public Hall Committee
• Loretta Carroll, member of the Alpine Shire Council's Community Resilience Committee and president of the Mudgegonga and District Landcare Group
• Malcolm Hackett, chairperson of the Strathewen Community Renewal Association , trustee of the Strathewen Community Renewal Association Bushfire Relief Trust Fund and member of the Strathewen Landcare Group

Brown says the CAC would also provide advice to community groups in preparing applications for the gift.

The Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund was established on February 8 2009 by the Victorian Government in partnership with the Federal Government and Australian Red Cross, to support individuals and communities in towns and suburbs affected by the 2009 Victorian bushfires.

The Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund Independent Advisory Panel, chaired by Pat McNamara, is made up of community leaders who oversee the Fund's operation and the allocation of funds, based on a number of Criteria for payments.

For more information go to:http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/bushfireappeal