Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund History

Arising from the 1977/78 bushfires in the Gippsland area was the need to provide emergency assistance to Gippsland people.

A public meeting was called at the Armadale Reception Centre Sale and the Gippsland Bushfire Relief Fund was formed on the 6th December 1978. The meeting identified a strong need for a fund to provide immediate financial assistance to victims in a bushfire situation.

The fund focussed on personal losses such as peoples immediate requirements for food, clothing, utensils, furniture, bedding, children’s educational needs, etc as distinct from capital items covered by insurance or Government grants.

Australian Paper Manufacturer’s Ltd who had extensive interests in Gippsland and a genuine interest in being a good corporate citizen offered to support and help the Fund. It provided legal and administrative support and a $5,000 per annum contribution for the first three years.

The original motto of the fund was “those who benefit from Gippsland are asked to plough something back into the area which supports them”.

In February 1983, the fund was called to assist victims of the Ash Wednesday Fires. The fund only had $29,000. The local Channel 8 TV/3TR helped launch an appeal and $200,000 was collected in a matter of hours.

GERF made available $120,000 for immediate relief to families burnt out and then followed up with further assistance on the basis on means test. The fund provided financial assistance to 465 families

Since then the Fund has provided over 2 Million dollars in assistance and expanded it’s role to cover bushfires, floods and storms in Gippsland. This included a combined $835,000 for floods that hit Gippsland in 1990, 1993 and 1998. The Fund provided $150,000 in assistance for the East Gippsland Bushfires in 2002/2003 and 2003/2004. It has recently distributed over $250,000 to 181 families impacted by the 2006/2007 bushfires in Gippsland.

The Fund distributed over $550,000 to high need 245 families and farmers, and 16 small rural businesses who where victims of  the June 2007 Gippsland floods. These disbursements occurred across four local government areas. These appeals ran consecutively and the 2007 Flood appeal was the second largest in GERF’s history. We received widespread community support and worked closely with all recovery agencies to ensure our funds were co-ordinated,needs based and made on an equitable basis.

The Fund’s president is former CEO of Gippsland Water. The Volunteer Committee of Management includes local government, state government and private industry representatives.

Whilst Government assistance is being provided, this will not be sufficient to adequately compensate householders, farmers and small business people for the losses suffered.

The Fund is a registered charitable organisation (Registered number A0020241A) 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 Municipalities of Bass Coast, South Gippsland, Latrobe, Baw Baw, Wellington and East Gippsland who suffer injury, loss or damage from natural disasters.

Donations can be made at any branch of the National Australia Bank in Australia (BSB: 083 932 Account Number 04829 9080) or via post (PO Box 508 Traralgon 3844).