I was reminded over the weekend and through feedback via the blog that life is still very tough for the people of Flowerdale. To put it in perspective, 221 of 350 houses were destroyed. Many of the houses that weren’t destroyed were badly damaged by fire or have been affected by huge amounts of soot or have structural damage and create difficulties for those living there.
On top of that there is the process of dealing with insurance companies, keeping up to date with the various government agencies, applying for grants and trying to get some normality back in life.
To date only a handful of blocks have been cleared and the rubble left in the aftermath of the fire is a stark reminder of what people have lost.
Many people are living in caravans or tents on their blocks, have moved in with others whose properties weren’t destroyed or have arranged some other temporary accommodation. A number of people are living outside the area. Many don’t have power, running water or cooking facilities. None of these situations is ideal. With winter approaching things need to be bedded down because it gets very cold.
It is not clear how long it will take before sites are cleared, how long it will take to get permits to rebuild, what recommendations will come out from the interim report of the Royal Commission and what effect that will have on people seeking to rebuild. Speaking to John Burgess today he told me that he was focussed on working with all the relevant bodies to make sure the community were aware of what was happening but also ensuring that the community can participate and drive what happens in Flowerdale in the immediate and long term future.
The State Government has taken on the plans for the temporary village and has committed to build 24 semi permanent units and provide the necessary infrastructure for the village to run. The allocation of these units is being handled by DHS who can be contacted at the Services Hub at the Community Hall.
VBRRA confirmed yesterday that it will take over the operation of the Village and put in place the necessary staff and resources to manage the operations. This should help things get better organised there and provide clarity as to who is doing what in the temporary village.
The Community Meeting on Friday will be an important part of the next stage. We need to get input into what needs to be done next and ensure maximum community participation and ownership.
To keep up to date with Community meetings the Shire of Murrindindi issue a daily newletter with events both across the area and in Flowerdale.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
General Cosgrove is coming to town
On April 7th retired General Peter Cosgrove is coming to Flowerdale. He will have a meet the locals session from 2.00pm to 3.30pm at the Flowerdale Hotel.
He is a great guy and has had a huge amount of experience in disaster recovery through his work in East Timor. He was also Australian of the Year in 2001.
After a tour of the area he will spend time in the morning talking to the Community Committee and others involved in the recovery efforts in Flowerdale. He is not acting in an official capacity but agreed to come down to talk to us and share his experiences and thoughts. We are looking to learn from his experience as we look to the long term future. General Cosgrove is very down to earth and approachable so we would love to see plenty of people there.
For more background see below or check out the Australian of the Year website or Wikipedia
"In 1999 the general became a national figure on being appointed commander of the International Forces East Timor (Interfet), responsible for overseeing East Timor’s transition to independence. With the large deployment of Australian troops, and considerable uncertainty about the outcome, it was a tense period. Cosgrove combined the roles of soldier and diplomat. Peter Cosgrove retired from the Army in July 2005.
In a long and distinguished career Peter Cosgrove has embodied that sense of duty and courage that Australians hold dear.
After retirement from the Armed Forces, General Cosgrove accepted positions on the Qantas Board, a consultancy with Deloitte and was appointed Chairman of the The General Sir John Monash Foundation.
Most recently, General Cosgrove was appointed to lead the relief and reconstruction effort in Innisfail and surrounding areas following the destruction in Queensland by Cyclone Larry in 2006."
He is a great guy and has had a huge amount of experience in disaster recovery through his work in East Timor. He was also Australian of the Year in 2001.
After a tour of the area he will spend time in the morning talking to the Community Committee and others involved in the recovery efforts in Flowerdale. He is not acting in an official capacity but agreed to come down to talk to us and share his experiences and thoughts. We are looking to learn from his experience as we look to the long term future. General Cosgrove is very down to earth and approachable so we would love to see plenty of people there.
For more background see below or check out the Australian of the Year website or Wikipedia
"In 1999 the general became a national figure on being appointed commander of the International Forces East Timor (Interfet), responsible for overseeing East Timor’s transition to independence. With the large deployment of Australian troops, and considerable uncertainty about the outcome, it was a tense period. Cosgrove combined the roles of soldier and diplomat. Peter Cosgrove retired from the Army in July 2005.
In a long and distinguished career Peter Cosgrove has embodied that sense of duty and courage that Australians hold dear.
After retirement from the Armed Forces, General Cosgrove accepted positions on the Qantas Board, a consultancy with Deloitte and was appointed Chairman of the The General Sir John Monash Foundation.
Most recently, General Cosgrove was appointed to lead the relief and reconstruction effort in Innisfail and surrounding areas following the destruction in Queensland by Cyclone Larry in 2006."
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Things coming back around
It has been amazing to see how quickly the natural landscape is regenerating in Flowerdale. After the fires the trees were burnt, leaves had virtually petrified through the radiant heat and the forest floor and fields were black. Because in many spots the fire raced low through the undergrowth and burnt the lower parts of the trees the tops of many trees are displaying new green leaves among the brown. i put in a couple of photos taken in the immediate aftermath of the fire to give you some comparison.
"All the fields were black after the fire"
"Forests and trees were black, there was no undergrowth left at all"
There has been some rain, not heaps but enough for things to start to regrow. The tops of some trees are starting to shoot new green leaves and the fields and forest floor have got a magnificant green look about them. I took some photos on Saturday on the edge of a burnt out forest, and you can see just how green it is getting. Many of the
"View from the pub car park, these fields were totally black a few weeks ago"
"A lush field on the edge of the forest that was totally balckened after the fires, see the green regrowth in the top of the trees"
It gives me a lift every time I look at the regrowth and gives me a constant reminder that no matter how bad things get, things come back around.
"All the fields were black after the fire"
"Forests and trees were black, there was no undergrowth left at all"
There has been some rain, not heaps but enough for things to start to regrow. The tops of some trees are starting to shoot new green leaves and the fields and forest floor have got a magnificant green look about them. I took some photos on Saturday on the edge of a burnt out forest, and you can see just how green it is getting. Many of the
"View from the pub car park, these fields were totally black a few weeks ago"
"A lush field on the edge of the forest that was totally balckened after the fires, see the green regrowth in the top of the trees"
It gives me a lift every time I look at the regrowth and gives me a constant reminder that no matter how bad things get, things come back around.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Celebration at the School
Last night the community came together at the school for a celebration. The principal Ross Davis, or Mr D, wanted to have a celebration to thank all those who had helped save the school from the fires together with all of the people who had helped since. Mr D also brought up all the staff for a well deserved thank you.
There were probably about 150 people there from young to old. It was a great night and the Flowerdale community spirit was in the air. There were plenty of smiles and laughs as people took a break from the rigours of battling through the last seven weeks.
At about 8.00pm Mr D took centre stage and shared with us some of the wonderful stories from the school since Black Saturday. One of the former students who enrolled in 1939 had been up to visit as a reminder of how long the school has been around. He also shared with us visits from other schools where people had driven from NSW, Canberra and even a group who loaded up a trailer from Tasmania and came across on the ferry. He read some of the letters of support that had been received from other school kids as young as seven. The support has been unbelievable, and had a few tears in peoples's eyes.
Mr D then played a collection of photos with "I am Australian" as the backing track. Pictures of the kids, parents, staff and celebrities such as Shane Warne, Chris Martin and Noni Hazelhurst had everyone crying by the end. In Flowerdale there is no embarrassment when people show their emotions, life is very real.
The tears were not of sadness more the sort of joy you experience when the love and support from across Australia and the world comes to the fore. Somehow seeing how much people care just brings out raw emotion in a positive and healing way.
Mr D then presented plaques commemorating the efforts of those who saved the school to be displayed in the key gathering points in the town, namely, the Rec Reserve, the pub, the hall, the shop and CFA.
Lyn Gunter, the Mayor of Murrindindi, who is a Flowerdale resident, also said a few words. It is hard to comprehend how hard Lyn has worked in the last seven weeks as here Shire covers Flowerdale, Marysville, Kinglake, Kinglake West and Narbethong. She is looking tired but is still going hard at it and has a positive attitude.
It was also good to see the warm applause for everyone who got up to speak or receive a plaque, the community is united and focused on the future, that is what is making a difference up here.
The other thing that provided the background noise was the kids all playing together. They had a fantastic night and really enjoyed themselves. It is amazing how quickly kids accept their lot and just get on and have a good time. It is something we can all learn from.
In short, a great night in a great community, thanks to all those who made it happen.
There were probably about 150 people there from young to old. It was a great night and the Flowerdale community spirit was in the air. There were plenty of smiles and laughs as people took a break from the rigours of battling through the last seven weeks.
At about 8.00pm Mr D took centre stage and shared with us some of the wonderful stories from the school since Black Saturday. One of the former students who enrolled in 1939 had been up to visit as a reminder of how long the school has been around. He also shared with us visits from other schools where people had driven from NSW, Canberra and even a group who loaded up a trailer from Tasmania and came across on the ferry. He read some of the letters of support that had been received from other school kids as young as seven. The support has been unbelievable, and had a few tears in peoples's eyes.
Mr D then played a collection of photos with "I am Australian" as the backing track. Pictures of the kids, parents, staff and celebrities such as Shane Warne, Chris Martin and Noni Hazelhurst had everyone crying by the end. In Flowerdale there is no embarrassment when people show their emotions, life is very real.
The tears were not of sadness more the sort of joy you experience when the love and support from across Australia and the world comes to the fore. Somehow seeing how much people care just brings out raw emotion in a positive and healing way.
Mr D then presented plaques commemorating the efforts of those who saved the school to be displayed in the key gathering points in the town, namely, the Rec Reserve, the pub, the hall, the shop and CFA.
Lyn Gunter, the Mayor of Murrindindi, who is a Flowerdale resident, also said a few words. It is hard to comprehend how hard Lyn has worked in the last seven weeks as here Shire covers Flowerdale, Marysville, Kinglake, Kinglake West and Narbethong. She is looking tired but is still going hard at it and has a positive attitude.
It was also good to see the warm applause for everyone who got up to speak or receive a plaque, the community is united and focused on the future, that is what is making a difference up here.
The other thing that provided the background noise was the kids all playing together. They had a fantastic night and really enjoyed themselves. It is amazing how quickly kids accept their lot and just get on and have a good time. It is something we can all learn from.
In short, a great night in a great community, thanks to all those who made it happen.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Moving In, Spreading the spirit, Going Legit
Sorry for slacking off my posts, I have been travelling around and write this post from Brisbane Airport.
The first of our residents moved into the portable chalets today now they are wired, plumbed and have steps in accordance with all the safety regulations. We are still running off generators and the power is on track for Friday.
The next lot of semi permanent units are in construction and our first two are furnished and occupied. It is really heart warming to see the smiles of the residents and having had a tour courtesy of Michael and Sharon, I can say they are very good. They have kitchens, bathrooms, lounge and two bedrooms.
I had to do a presentation today called "Innovation in a Crisis", and rather than talk about the Financial Crisis, I showed them some of the videos and photos from Flowerdale, in my opinion a much greater crisis. I talked about the spirit of the town from the early days when the locals fought the fires to save the school, hall and pub with no training and little equipment. I also showed them how the community banded together and have got the temporary village up and running. The key messages I gave was that everyone has the same goal, it is not about heirarchy but contribution, it is not what you haven't got but how you can use what you have, and also setting goals and getting on with it. I also acknowledged the contributions of the donors and supporters who have contributed their time and equipment to make the temporary village a reality. The people of Flowerdale are an inspiration to the world with their spirit and can do attitude.
We also got our Fundraising Permit from Consumer Affairs so the Flowerdale Relief site can now take direct donations rather than pledges. I will have to set up the online payment facility as tomorrow's challenge. Thanks to VBRRA for fast tracking this. Any money raised will go to funding immediate needs of the Village as well as build up some funds for longer term projects that the community sees as a priority as we move into the rebuilding phase.
Anyway hope you are having a good day, we certainly are.
The first of our residents moved into the portable chalets today now they are wired, plumbed and have steps in accordance with all the safety regulations. We are still running off generators and the power is on track for Friday.
The next lot of semi permanent units are in construction and our first two are furnished and occupied. It is really heart warming to see the smiles of the residents and having had a tour courtesy of Michael and Sharon, I can say they are very good. They have kitchens, bathrooms, lounge and two bedrooms.
I had to do a presentation today called "Innovation in a Crisis", and rather than talk about the Financial Crisis, I showed them some of the videos and photos from Flowerdale, in my opinion a much greater crisis. I talked about the spirit of the town from the early days when the locals fought the fires to save the school, hall and pub with no training and little equipment. I also showed them how the community banded together and have got the temporary village up and running. The key messages I gave was that everyone has the same goal, it is not about heirarchy but contribution, it is not what you haven't got but how you can use what you have, and also setting goals and getting on with it. I also acknowledged the contributions of the donors and supporters who have contributed their time and equipment to make the temporary village a reality. The people of Flowerdale are an inspiration to the world with their spirit and can do attitude.
We also got our Fundraising Permit from Consumer Affairs so the Flowerdale Relief site can now take direct donations rather than pledges. I will have to set up the online payment facility as tomorrow's challenge. Thanks to VBRRA for fast tracking this. Any money raised will go to funding immediate needs of the Village as well as build up some funds for longer term projects that the community sees as a priority as we move into the rebuilding phase.
Anyway hope you are having a good day, we certainly are.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
A busy couple of days
Well I started early yesterday for a Sunday. Dropped into the rec to drop some furniture off for a couple of new residents. They have pretty much what they need but didn't have any drawers or wardrobes to put their clothes in. While I was there I checked out the Chalets. They are ready to go other than for steps which are going in from Monday. Good news is the work is going to locals to help them keep kicking along.
For something different we had a tree catch on fire outside the pub on Sunday morning. Not sure if it was a slow burner that sparked up from the original fires or how it started but luckily the CFA guys were doing some training down the road, came down quickly and put it out. Practical training is always good.
Spent the afternoon with John Burgess and Peter Auty talking through how we can achieve a brighter future. We were working through some ideas for the future which we will talk to the community about during the week.
A good number of people have put down their names for computers at the relief hub. We are trying to get access to computers via InfoXchange and some other sources but it is slow.
The missing Eureka Flag was quickly replaced by a smaller one, thanks Billy Price, so the symbol of our collective action at Flowerdale still flies high.
For something different we had a tree catch on fire outside the pub on Sunday morning. Not sure if it was a slow burner that sparked up from the original fires or how it started but luckily the CFA guys were doing some training down the road, came down quickly and put it out. Practical training is always good.
Spent the afternoon with John Burgess and Peter Auty talking through how we can achieve a brighter future. We were working through some ideas for the future which we will talk to the community about during the week.
A good number of people have put down their names for computers at the relief hub. We are trying to get access to computers via InfoXchange and some other sources but it is slow.
The missing Eureka Flag was quickly replaced by a smaller one, thanks Billy Price, so the symbol of our collective action at Flowerdale still flies high.
Friday, March 20, 2009
I love it when a plan comes together
When the Premier came to Flowerdale on 4th March the most important thing he said as far as the community was concerned was "this is a community government partnership". It was also at that time that Christine Nixon had visited the town in her new role as head of the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority. On that day we handed over our plans for the temporary village.
The execution of the temporary village plan has been happening fast and the good news is that the government and VBRRA are delivering. The next eight flat pack semi permanent units are coming next week. Power will be on by next Friday and the design for a communal kitchen has been accepted and will get going soon. As I mentioned previously the road and lighting are in train.
It has been a smooth process and the speed with which things are moving gives us great confidence in the VBRRA. They have also helped us navigate other departments, for example they have been able to fast track our fundraising permit through Consumer Affairs.
While Flowerdale has been called the DIY town for our approach of getting on with things ourselves, the key thing we did was to get our plans in place and work with a wide range of people and organisations from the corporate, philanthropic and govermnent sectors.
It bodes well for the future as we start to think about the rebuilding phase. A key focus will need to be on sustaining Flowerdale's community spirit and ethos, while providing a sustainable future in terms of the environment, infrastructure and economy.
The Royal Commission was in town yesterday in a closed session. It is the start of what will be a long process to ensure that the events of Black Saturday are not seen again. If you couldn't get there and have ideas for prevention we have set up a website at firevoice.uservoice.com which is collecting ideas for presentation to the Royal Commission. You can add you ideas or simply vote or comment on the ideas that are there.
Although I wasn't in town on Black Saturday I have put in a number of ideas around communication. I know I was trying to get information on what was happening and there were major issues around the timeliness of information on 774, lack of detail coming out of the CFA and the DSE website wasn't working. I was trying to get updates on Flowerdale during the day but there was nothing coming through. We would really appreciate your input and ask that you spread the word.
The execution of the temporary village plan has been happening fast and the good news is that the government and VBRRA are delivering. The next eight flat pack semi permanent units are coming next week. Power will be on by next Friday and the design for a communal kitchen has been accepted and will get going soon. As I mentioned previously the road and lighting are in train.
It has been a smooth process and the speed with which things are moving gives us great confidence in the VBRRA. They have also helped us navigate other departments, for example they have been able to fast track our fundraising permit through Consumer Affairs.
While Flowerdale has been called the DIY town for our approach of getting on with things ourselves, the key thing we did was to get our plans in place and work with a wide range of people and organisations from the corporate, philanthropic and govermnent sectors.
It bodes well for the future as we start to think about the rebuilding phase. A key focus will need to be on sustaining Flowerdale's community spirit and ethos, while providing a sustainable future in terms of the environment, infrastructure and economy.
The Royal Commission was in town yesterday in a closed session. It is the start of what will be a long process to ensure that the events of Black Saturday are not seen again. If you couldn't get there and have ideas for prevention we have set up a website at firevoice.uservoice.com which is collecting ideas for presentation to the Royal Commission. You can add you ideas or simply vote or comment on the ideas that are there.
Although I wasn't in town on Black Saturday I have put in a number of ideas around communication. I know I was trying to get information on what was happening and there were major issues around the timeliness of information on 774, lack of detail coming out of the CFA and the DSE website wasn't working. I was trying to get updates on Flowerdale during the day but there was nothing coming through. We would really appreciate your input and ask that you spread the word.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Hard training and chalets come to life
The training before the clearing continues. There has been traffic control and asbestos training so the guys have had to do quite a bit to get their red cards. Good thing is with the amount of work in front of us there will be local employment opportunities as well as the opportunity to be part of the process.
The rec reserve can be chaotic at times and there often seems that once something is fixed another issue arises. Things are on the move however and today I looked at a video I took two weeks ago when it was mostly still a cricket ground. It then dawned on me how fast things have moved. We are getting a communal kitchen, road and lighting put in; the chalets now have heating and cooling, hot water and power. The new generator is in place to provide the extra power needed on site. A mains power system is in train and will be done next week.
To put things in perspective I thought that if some had asked five weeks ago "Would it be possible to have a functioning village with housing, toilets, showers, laundry and a kitchen in the next five weeks?" you would have said "No way". The thing is that the rec just keeps getting better and we are up to the challenge for both the short term and then getting things right in the long term.
Peter Auty said to me last weekend that we need to think ahead 500 years and we want the people of Flowerdale in the future to be able to say the community made the right choices way back then.
And finally as promised the menu seen below is devoid of sausages, happy days
The rec reserve can be chaotic at times and there often seems that once something is fixed another issue arises. Things are on the move however and today I looked at a video I took two weeks ago when it was mostly still a cricket ground. It then dawned on me how fast things have moved. We are getting a communal kitchen, road and lighting put in; the chalets now have heating and cooling, hot water and power. The new generator is in place to provide the extra power needed on site. A mains power system is in train and will be done next week.
To put things in perspective I thought that if some had asked five weeks ago "Would it be possible to have a functioning village with housing, toilets, showers, laundry and a kitchen in the next five weeks?" you would have said "No way". The thing is that the rec just keeps getting better and we are up to the challenge for both the short term and then getting things right in the long term.
Peter Auty said to me last weekend that we need to think ahead 500 years and we want the people of Flowerdale in the future to be able to say the community made the right choices way back then.
And finally as promised the menu seen below is devoid of sausages, happy days
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Slash helps out and so do many others
Great story in the Herald Sun today about local resident Gavin Duggin being sent a guitar by Slash from Guns'n'Roses. It is amazing to see the way that the stories of bushfire affected people touch the hearts of so many.
The guy handing over the guitar is Wes Carr from Australian Idol, must admit i have lost track of Idol people since Guy Sebastian, but good on you Wes for doing it. At least you look like a rock star.
We also got contacted today by Neville and Leslie Woollard, a couple who are passionate metal detectors, with all the latest high tech equipment. They have offered to use their detectors to recover any jewellery, coins, medals or other metal items that may have survived the fires. if you are interested in taking up the offer let John Burgess know, he has their contact details. Alternatively ping me an email and I can arrange with John, pewilliams@deloitte.com.au.
The Beaconsfield Kindergarten donated some money to the kindergarten and Trudy Fraser who is involved with a Kindergarten for deaf children has also donated some books. All of these fantastic offers of cash and assistance are coming through the donations site www.flowerdalerelief.com. The site was built by some of the graduates from Eclipse, the web company I used to run. It was done in a hurry but is working. We also will have our fundraising permit sorted by tomorrow, thanks to Emma at VBRRA and Consumer Affairs Victoria for helping us get this through so fast. We will then be able to officially take donations.
I also ran into a couple of guys who do tree lopping from Perth. They were in town for a few days and made some friends. They are coming back on 30th March to do quotes and will start work on 3rd April, they are also looking for help from local contractors. Their email address is elementstreesolutions@yahoo.com.au if you want to contact them either for tree lopping or to pick up some work.
The guy handing over the guitar is Wes Carr from Australian Idol, must admit i have lost track of Idol people since Guy Sebastian, but good on you Wes for doing it. At least you look like a rock star.
We also got contacted today by Neville and Leslie Woollard, a couple who are passionate metal detectors, with all the latest high tech equipment. They have offered to use their detectors to recover any jewellery, coins, medals or other metal items that may have survived the fires. if you are interested in taking up the offer let John Burgess know, he has their contact details. Alternatively ping me an email and I can arrange with John, pewilliams@deloitte.com.au.
The Beaconsfield Kindergarten donated some money to the kindergarten and Trudy Fraser who is involved with a Kindergarten for deaf children has also donated some books. All of these fantastic offers of cash and assistance are coming through the donations site www.flowerdalerelief.com. The site was built by some of the graduates from Eclipse, the web company I used to run. It was done in a hurry but is working. We also will have our fundraising permit sorted by tomorrow, thanks to Emma at VBRRA and Consumer Affairs Victoria for helping us get this through so fast. We will then be able to officially take donations.
I also ran into a couple of guys who do tree lopping from Perth. They were in town for a few days and made some friends. They are coming back on 30th March to do quotes and will start work on 3rd April, they are also looking for help from local contractors. Their email address is elementstreesolutions@yahoo.com.au if you want to contact them either for tree lopping or to pick up some work.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
CPR for Dummies and Chris Martin says hello
I was wondering what to write today so I jumped on to the photo stream from the village on Flickr and was totally confused by what I saw.
Then I realised it was the guys doing their CPR first aid training. I was the dummy in this case. This has been organised by Billy Price and the CFMEU, great to see community members taking initiative, using their networks and helping lots of other community members in the process
Now we haven't been known for complaining since the fires, more just getting on with it, despite the hardships; but I had heard around the rec reserve that people were getting a little over sausages. Not that the Hales Institute team weren't doing their best to be a creative and I was a fan of the curried sausages but there hadn't been a lot else on the menu.
The problem was we had a lack of access to a meat supply. The great news is that we now have an account at the Yea Butcher and the menu diversity will be back to what it was.
A mate of mine was at the Coldplay concert in Sydney and let me know that Chris Martin, recent visitor and friend of Flowerdale, had arranged for a few Flowerdallians to get to the concert and said hello to them from the stage. What a top guy, his visit up here was a great thrill to many and Viv from the pub is still talking about it.
The portable chalets, or in local lingo, the dongas, have been wired up and are ready to go.
We are looking at getting in a road around the site so everything will be accessible if it gets wet. It wasn't really bad this week but you could see that it could get bad pretty quickly if there was some heavy rain.
Then I realised it was the guys doing their CPR first aid training. I was the dummy in this case. This has been organised by Billy Price and the CFMEU, great to see community members taking initiative, using their networks and helping lots of other community members in the process
Now we haven't been known for complaining since the fires, more just getting on with it, despite the hardships; but I had heard around the rec reserve that people were getting a little over sausages. Not that the Hales Institute team weren't doing their best to be a creative and I was a fan of the curried sausages but there hadn't been a lot else on the menu.
The problem was we had a lack of access to a meat supply. The great news is that we now have an account at the Yea Butcher and the menu diversity will be back to what it was.
A mate of mine was at the Coldplay concert in Sydney and let me know that Chris Martin, recent visitor and friend of Flowerdale, had arranged for a few Flowerdallians to get to the concert and said hello to them from the stage. What a top guy, his visit up here was a great thrill to many and Viv from the pub is still talking about it.
The portable chalets, or in local lingo, the dongas, have been wired up and are ready to go.
We are looking at getting in a road around the site so everything will be accessible if it gets wet. It wasn't really bad this week but you could see that it could get bad pretty quickly if there was some heavy rain.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Moving in and some useful links
The first two semi permanent units were occupied today which is a great milestone. The wet weather has made things a bit muddy but not too bad. We will need to get things done before winter arrives and we are working on it.
The Victorian Bushfire Recovery and Reconstruction Authority has launched a web site at www.wewillrebuild.vic.gov.au. Not much there yet but should be a key source of information on the activities of the VBRRA as things unfold.
There are a couple of Kinglake Ranges websites www.kando.org.au, and the Kinglake Region Business Network, www.krbn.com.au, which has lots of information for business owners in the region.
I have been asked about local contractors getting involved in the cleanup, Grocon are coordinating the work and have an email address firecleanup@grocon.com.au hazardous goods need to be cleared by A and B class removalists. So email them and someone tell Stylesy because I cant find his number.
This morning the Herald Sun published a story on Warnie and Chris Martin's secret visit to Flowerdale, well you heard it first on the Flowerdale Blog 10 days ago, (bloggers just love it when they beat the traditional media to the story)
The Victorian Bushfire Recovery and Reconstruction Authority has launched a web site at www.wewillrebuild.vic.gov.au. Not much there yet but should be a key source of information on the activities of the VBRRA as things unfold.
There are a couple of Kinglake Ranges websites www.kando.org.au, and the Kinglake Region Business Network, www.krbn.com.au, which has lots of information for business owners in the region.
I have been asked about local contractors getting involved in the cleanup, Grocon are coordinating the work and have an email address firecleanup@grocon.com.au hazardous goods need to be cleared by A and B class removalists. So email them and someone tell Stylesy because I cant find his number.
This morning the Herald Sun published a story on Warnie and Chris Martin's secret visit to Flowerdale, well you heard it first on the Flowerdale Blog 10 days ago, (bloggers just love it when they beat the traditional media to the story)
Sunday, March 15, 2009
You are welcome as we look to the future
It is great to see the number of visitors to Flowerdale dropping by the Pub and Shop and giving the community moral support. The main thing people say is that they feel like they are intruding; rest assured we welcome you to come to town. I handed out a heap of car stickers for our relief fund www.flowerdalerelief.com so the visitors can make a contribution by maintaining a level of awareness of what is happening here.
We were pleased to see our friends in Marysville moving along the temporary village path to keep the community together and get momentum for rebuilding.
Today a few of us are getting to look to the future and identify what projects we want for the longer term. In addition we are completing the Fundraising Permit paperwork and should be able to take cash donations rather than pledges next week.
The residents who went to Sound Relief got home about 1.30am this morning, soggy but inspired with the support from the Australian Music Industry and the Australian people.
The key message from yesterday was that if we stick together with our unique Aussie sense of mateship and community we can together overcome any adversity. I think it also reinforces that the best way to achieve happiness is through what you can do for others. I have had a lot of expats from other countries in the last month say to me that there is something special in the Aussie spirit and ability to band together, that they didn't see in their home countries. I think we often don't see it because it has always been there in us.
The other message was that no matter how tough it gets things come back around. The grass, creek, trees and wildlife in Flowerdale are showing us how and that belief in a better future keeps us driving forward.
I spent an hour last weekend watching a pair of magnificent Wedge Tailed eagles rebuilding a nest in a burnt out tree in a burnt out forest. Maybe it wasn't the ideal living scenario but they were home, they were staying and getting on with it. The joy they gave us as they soared majestically overhead gave us a renewed sense of purpose. Hopefully you can find some of that in your life everyday, no matter how tough the future challenges may appear. Don't be scared to ask for help, your fellow Aussies will step in for you.
We were pleased to see our friends in Marysville moving along the temporary village path to keep the community together and get momentum for rebuilding.
Today a few of us are getting to look to the future and identify what projects we want for the longer term. In addition we are completing the Fundraising Permit paperwork and should be able to take cash donations rather than pledges next week.
The residents who went to Sound Relief got home about 1.30am this morning, soggy but inspired with the support from the Australian Music Industry and the Australian people.
The key message from yesterday was that if we stick together with our unique Aussie sense of mateship and community we can together overcome any adversity. I think it also reinforces that the best way to achieve happiness is through what you can do for others. I have had a lot of expats from other countries in the last month say to me that there is something special in the Aussie spirit and ability to band together, that they didn't see in their home countries. I think we often don't see it because it has always been there in us.
The other message was that no matter how tough it gets things come back around. The grass, creek, trees and wildlife in Flowerdale are showing us how and that belief in a better future keeps us driving forward.
I spent an hour last weekend watching a pair of magnificent Wedge Tailed eagles rebuilding a nest in a burnt out tree in a burnt out forest. Maybe it wasn't the ideal living scenario but they were home, they were staying and getting on with it. The joy they gave us as they soared majestically overhead gave us a renewed sense of purpose. Hopefully you can find some of that in your life everyday, no matter how tough the future challenges may appear. Don't be scared to ask for help, your fellow Aussies will step in for you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)