As we know NSW communities have been especially affected by the bushfire crisis. The Federal Government has established the ‘National Bushfire Recovery Agency’ to provide the co-ordination of support from the Federal Government as the recovery process begins in some areas. This includes information regarding disaster relief payments.
For more information, please visit: https://pmc.gov.au/domestic-policy/national-bushfire-recovery-agency
The NSW State Government has also established a suite of immediate measures to support impacted communities, and help those in need.
To learn more, please visit: https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/assistance-bushfire-affected-communities
For those wanting to help with the recovery of our wildlife and habitat:
As part of the Australian Government package, Conservation Volunteers Australia are coordinating the national environmental volunteering response to the bushfire crisis. They are now taking expressions of interests from individuals who wish to volunteer to assist in recovery actions, and organisations who are seeking environmental volunteers to support their recovery efforts.
To learn more about how you can help, visit Conservation Volunteers Australia, here.
Regional Australia is renowned for its resilient character and inspiring sense of community. With many communities already challenged by the extremes of the drought you would think that this unprecedented environmental disaster would send many over the brink but instead people have come together like never before to support their neighbours and offer a helping hand. However, there is still much work to be done both in continuing to fight this summer’s continuing bushfires and during the long recovery process.
The best way you can support these communities is to continue to visit, spend, shop and stay in the recovering bush fire affected towns. Remember to #buyfromthebush and #stayinthebush as much as possible.
The thoughts and prayers of RDA Central West are with the damaged regional towns and villages and we look forward to supporting our own Central West bushfire affected communities in Lithgow and Oberon as well as our neighbours in the Hawkesbury and the Blue Mountains regions.