The Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund has been supporting Gippslanders after Natural Disasters for more than 30 years.
The Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund is a registered charitable organisation making all donations tax deductible. All donations are returned to the community and no costs are deducted.
The Fund provides relief and assistance to persons residing in the Gippsland who suffer injury, loss or damage from natural disasters.
“One way people can start to make sense of unpredictable things is to find ways of being able to help those within their immediate world. It’s a way of helping ourselves to cope and to feel like we’re not powerless.” - Susie Burke, Senior psychologist for disaster response, Australian Psychological Society
GERF helps Major Storm and Flood Event Victims
On the 6th March 2010, severe and very dangerous thunderstorms produced damaging winds, lightning strikes, very heavy rainfall, flash flooding and large hailstones that resulted in significant damage to a number of properties across Gippsland.
In the height of this storm event Latrobe Valley Airport recorded 45mm of rain in a 15 to 30 minute period and maximum wind gusts to 95 km/hr.
In association with Emergency Recovery agencies from Baw Baw and Latrobe Councils, GERF has provided financial assistance to 27 severely impacted and displaced families.
2009 Bushfire Appeal Summary
On 1st February 2009, the Committee launched an appeal to aid fire stricken families who had been impacted by the Delburn Complex of bushfires in Gippsland. This fire destroyed 29 homes, 6,500 hectares, one dairy, numerous outbuildings, 10 cars and impacted the communities of Yinnar, Boolarra, Darlimurla and Mirboo North.
The following week on Saturday 7th February (Black Saturday), Victoria was impacted by the worst bushfires in the state’s history. This resulted in two devastating fires in Gippsland. The Churchill-Jeeralang fire resulted in 11 fatalities, destroyed 32,850 hectares, 184 homes (in Callignee destroying 57 of its 61 homes), 168 other structures, one school, one CFA building and stock losses. The Bunyip fire destroyed 24,200 hectares, 24 houses,a number farm and dairy outbuildings and also resulted in significant stock losses.
In response to this extensive damage, the largest and most complex appeal in the Fund’s history was established. The 2009 Bushire Appeal resulted in direct financial aid to 867 bushfire impacted families and farmers to a value of $3.5 million across the three fire areas. The Fund also distributed donated second hand vehicles to 14 bushfire victims, four commuter buses to community groups in fire impacted areas and one vehicle to the Salvation Army for bushfire recovery. The Fund contributed $40,000 to repairs, roadworthy and registration costs of donated vehicles (valued up to $300,000) with the wonderful support of Albroys Motors, Traralgon. A corresponding donation was made of the provision of 12 months’ vehicle insurance through Alan Wilson Insurance Brokers for each donated vehicle.
The extensive loss of fencing in rural communities produced very significant problems to farmers. Accordingly, the Committee directed funds to purchasing fencing materials to aid the recovery of impacted farmers. This distribution was coordinated through the Department of Primary Industries and VFF Fencing Coordinators. This included 32,690 steel posts, 1,209 kilometres of fencing wire, and 1,008 steel end assembly units to the value of $450,000. Funds were also used to assist in difficult/dangerous tree removal along some farm boundary fence lines to allow volunteers to proceed with fencing.
Indirect aid to farmers was also provided with transport assistance ($8,000) of emergency fodder (184 rolls).
On Sunday 29th March, 2009, Austar, Ace Radio (TRFM), Latrobe City and the Victorian State Government organised the Gippsland Emergency Relief Concert at the Traralgon Showgrounds. More than 15,000 people attended with all proceeds donated to GERF. To assist in this effort, the Fund distributed over 2,000 free concert tickets to bushfire impacted families.
Support funding ($45,000) was made with the Lions Club to provide a tool library for bushfire victims in the Churchill Jeeralang fire complex. In addition to this, the Fund distributed over 100 free vouchers that had been donated by local businesses and 40 concert tickets by Circus Oz through the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation to bushfire victims.
Total disbursement from the 2009 Bushfire Appeal was $4.1 million. This was only possble by the very strong community support for the Fund to help those in need, assistance and coordination with local emergency recovery agencies and an outpouring of generous donations. Click through to see a list of donors.
Update: 17 Aug 2009
Fundraiser book “Four Fires” is now available. For full details visit the Fundraising page on this website.
Update: 28 July 2009
The Committee of Management wishes to express it’s sincere thanks for the wonderful support from a huge number of individuals and families, churches, schools, community groups, law courts,hospitals,sporting clubs,local government ,business ( large and small) and their employees , unions and many other kind individuals who have so generously donated to this appeal.
With your help we have now provided direct financial aid to over 850 Gippsland families and farmers impacted by these bushfires. In addition, the Fund has to aided farmers with bushfire recovery by providing fencing materials through DPI / VFF Fencing Co-ordinators in Gippsland. This includes over 990 km of fencing wire, 23,200 steel fence posts and 1008 steel fencing end assembly units.
The Fund has also been able to assist bushfire victims with donated second hand vehicles. We have provided 12 vehicles to families/individuals who lost their cars in the fires and 4 mini buses to community groups in these fire areas. Local Gippsland Companies very kindly assisted with repairs and insurance.
None of this has been possible without your tremendous support.
Thanks to Aaron Denovan for the picture
“Give It To GERF”
Due to the impact on the Gippsland Region of 3 fire complexes in a two week period, the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund has kicked into overdrive.
At the time of this release more than 55 cheques have been issued to people affected by the Delburn complex fires which impacted the Boolarra and Mirboo North Region on the 30th of January 2009 with many more cheques to be written and distributed today.
President of the Gippsland based organization, John Mitchell, said while the response to the initial appeal after the Delburn Fires was exceptional, even more money is now needed to assist those affected by the other two fire complexes (Churchill and Bunyip) that impacted our area last Saturday.
“We were fortunate in that we had no loss of human life in the Delburn complex fires, but that all changed with the devastating fires on the weekend. Tragically many lives have now been lost, and this whole event is now a tragedy of massive proportions. The scale of the human ,stock , wildlife and asset losses is such that it is hard to comprehend and now a concerted effort is required to assist families to recover.”
The Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund was set up specifically to help people in Gippsland who are affected by emergencies and natural disasters.
Yarram on Saturday- Thanks to Aaron Denovan for the photo
“This is definitely the worst event that Gippsland has ever experienced “said John Mitchell “No one could have imagined the ferocity of this fire, nor the extent of it’s impact on our community. The funds we generate through the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund are quickly distributed to those in need based on the integrated assessment data provided by local councils and State agencies.”
John Mitchell added “The difference between donating to the National Appeal and the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund is that ALL money donated to GERF goes DIRECTLY to the victims of the fires in the GIPPSLAND area.
We have all seen the wonderful compassion and generosity of Gippslanders and Australians during this time and have been overwhelmed by the support – but the sad reality is still we need more cash donations so we can support the recovery of Gippslanders impacted by this tragic event”
People are urged to donate online to the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund by going to the website www.relieffund.org.au
Cheques can be sent to the Gippsland Emergency Relief fund at PO Box 508 Traralgon VIC 3844 or donations can be made at any National Australia Bank BSB 083 932 nominating the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund.
Many Thanks to the Latrobe Valley Express for the picture
People in need of assistance need to register through their local council emergency relief centre.