Fire Recovery Unit Update - Edition 6
December 2011, Edition 6
IN THIS EDITION
Featured News
- Subsidised loans for Marysville’s economic recovery
- Planning and building for bushfire protection
- Temporary accommodation planning permits extended
Health and wellbeing
- VBAF support for bereaved siblings
- Bushfire Communities Support Program
- Encore youth program
- Kinglake Ranges Health Centre
- Services offered at YMCA Marysville
Rebuilding support
- Kinglake Ranges Cultural and Community Facility update
- Temporary Villages update
- Bushfire Buy-back Scheme update
Community support and meetings
Additional information
- Low-interest business loans close 31 December
- Small Business Mentoring Service
- Landcare Awards for bushfire recovery
- Changes to the FRU contact details
FEATURED NEWS
Subsidised loans for Marysville’s economic recovery
Subsidised loans to support re-investment and new investment in the Marysville and Triangle area were announced by the Victorian Government on 1 July 2011. Information on how to apply is now available at www.ruralfinance.com.au.
Funding of $4.4 million has been provided to attract new businesses into the region and support expansion or rebuilding of businesses locally. It is designed to stimulate new investment and economic activities in the fire-affected areas of Marysville, Narbethong, Buxton and Taggerty and will target the areas of tourism, visitor accommodation, rental accommodation, some retail accommodation, restaurants and light industry.
The subsidised loans are available to businesses that have not yet obtained planning approval and loan approval for their investment, and have not commenced construction. Loan applications close on 30 June 2012.
For more information about the Marysville Triangle Investment Subsidy visit www.ruralfinance.com.au.
Planning and building for bushfire protection
New planning provisions have been introduced to increase the protection of Victorians from bushfires. The changes give priority to the protection of human life and the safety of Victoria’s communities.
The bushfire protection measures provide clarity for development in bushfire areas, including:
- Introducing new standards for siting a house to achieve better bushfire resilience.
- Replacing the Wildfire Management Overlay with a Bushfire Management Overlay, ensuring bushfire protection measures for new developments are better considered.
- Continuing the application of the 10/30 vegetation, with the exception of the 21 metropolitan municipalities (not affected by bushfire controls) and in the areas of highest bushfire hazard.
- Areas with the highest bushfire hazard now have a new 10/50 vegetation rule that enables landowners to create more defendable space without the need for a permit.
- Enabling a single bushfire site assessment for new buildings at the building or planning stage.
- Ensuring all newly created lots in bushfire areas are capable of being built upon.
The new 10/50 rule applies in the areas of highest bushfire hazard (within the Bushfire Management Overlay). The 10/50 rule enables homeowners to create more defendable space by clearing any vegetation, including trees within 10 metres of a house and any vegetation except for trees within 50 metres, without the need for a planning permit.
For new homes in areas of the highest bushfire hazard, the extent of vegetation you can clear is determined at the planning permit stage.
For existing homes in the rest of Victoria, except for the 21 metropolitan municipalities, the current 10/30 vegetation rule still applies.
For information on the new bushfire planning provisions, including the vegetation management rules, visit www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/planning/bushfire or call Information Victoria on 1300 366 356.
Temporary accommodation planning permits extended
Permit exemptions for people living in temporary accommodation in bushfire-affected communities have been extended until 30 April 2013. This will give those individuals and families extra time to resolve their longer-term building plans.
For more information visit www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/planning/bushfire.
HEALTH AND WELLBEING
VBAF support for bereaved siblings
The Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund (VBAF) wants to contact young people (those aged 26 years and under at the time of the fires) who lost a sibling in the 2009 Victorian bushfires. The Fund is considering ways to provide extra support to young adults who lost a brother or sister in the fires.
If you were aged 26 years and under at the time of the fires, and lost a sibling – or if you know someone who did – please phone the VBAF hotline on 1800 180 213.
Bushfire Communities Support Program
The Bushfire Communities Support Program provides assistance to people affected by the 2009 Victorian bushfires. The program provides a range of flexible services people can tap into when they need a hand with their personal recovery. The program includes a statewide help line, as well as support workers and drop-in centres in bushfire-affected communities.
For more information, contact the Bushfire Communities Support Helpline on 1800 050 400 or visit the Department of Human Services website at www.dhs.vic.gov.au/for-individuals/crisis-and-emergency/emergency-assistance/bushfire-recovery .
Encore youth program
The Encore program, run by Wominjenka Youth (the program arm of Ellimata Youth Inc) provides a wide range of community and evidence-based programs for disengaged students.
The programs are offered during school hours over four days per week and a further one day per week of volunteering in the local community. They are designed to reconnect youth into their community, provide them with essential life skills, and create pathways to education, employment and social connection. Programs are all activity-based and are highly adapted to suit individual needs. The program managers are experts in their fields.
Encore is a free service available to any disengaged youth of secondary school age in the Kinglake Ranges, Flowerdale and Toolangi-Castella regions.
Further details are available by contacting Lesley Bebbington at greggandlesley@bigpond.com, phone 0409 574 528 or Greg Donoghue at greg@thinked.com.au, phone 0407 810 642.
Kinglake Ranges Health Centre
Mitchell Community Health Service (MCHS) will manage GP Services at the Kinglake Ranges Health Centre from 1 December 2011.
To celebrate this new phase of Medical Services at the Kinglake Ranges Health Centre, MCHS is hosting an open day on Saturday 17 December 2011 from 1.00 to 2.00pm for community members to thank past and present GPs and staff, and to provide information on the changes to the service. MCHS invites you to attend this event and assist them in thanking everyone that has been involved with the Kinglake Ranges Health Centre.
MCHS acknowledges the continued support, dedication and high level of service provided over the last two and a half years to Kinglake Ranges residents by the Rural Workforce Agency Victoria, North East Valley Division of General Practice, the locum GPs and current staff.
The Kinglake Ranges Health Centre will be closed for Christmas from 22 December 2011 to 3 January 2012.
For an information pack that outlines the services that come into effect on 3 January 2012 phone 03 5786 1085 or for management issues phone Laura on 0439 371 380.
Services offered at YMCA Marysville
The YMCA Marysville provides opportunities for the community to participate in local recreation activities. These activities are vital in bringing local residents together, to create and/or re-establish social networks while also promoting health in body, mind and spirit. The facility offers a two-lane 20-metre indoor heated lap pool, health club, three health treatment and therapy rooms and outdoor recreation space.
REBUILDING SUPPORT
Kinglake Ranges Cultural and Community Facility update
As part of its commitment to fund key community recovery projects, the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund has allocated $5.8 million for construction of the Kinglake Ranges Cultural and Community Facility.
The concept for the community and cultural facility, to be co-located with the Parks Victoria visitor centre and offices, will include flexible spaces for live performances and other large-scale events, combined gallery, exhibition and learning spaces, a community kitchen, offices, public amenities and car parking.A Community Reference Group has been established to provide input into the master planning process that began recently. Expressions of interest were sought for representatives of the group, which includes 12 members from a range of diverse backgrounds within the local community.
They will work alongside the design team, as well as a Project Control Board made up of representatives from Parks Victoria, Murrindindi Shire Council, the Department of Sustainability and Environment and the Kinglake Ranges Foundation.
The wider community will also get a number of opportunities to have its say on the project directly, with feedback from individuals being sought during the master planning process. This will inform the draft master plan and design brief, which will be presented to residents and other stakeholders for more feedback in February 2012.
For more information and regular updates about the project, see the Kinglake Ranges Rebuilding Advisory Centre or phone the FRU on 1800 055 714 or visit the following websites: Murrindindi Shire Council at www.murrindindi.vic.gov.au, the Fire Recovery Unit at www.rdv.vic.gov.au/fire-recovery-unit or the Kinglake Ranges Foundation at www.krfoundation.org.au.
Temporary Villages update
The Victorian Government built temporary villages at Flowerdale, Kinglake, Marysville and Whittlesea to allow bushfire-affected people to remain close to their communities and give them time to rebuild their lives. At full capacity, in April 2010, 314 people lived in the temporary villages.
Department of Human Services (DHS) staff have supported every household in these villages and assisted them with housing plans to secure permanent housing. The plans helped them identify their options, the steps to get there, and the time scale required. Through such planning and support, most households have transitioned to permanent accommodation.
All households have left the Flowerdale and Whittlesea villages and DHS is remediating these sites in preparation for returning them to the community.
Of the other village sites, nine households live in each of Marysville and Kinglake. DHS will continue to work with them until they can transition to permanent accommodation. DHS will then remediate these sites and return them to their owners.
Bushfire Buy-back Scheme update
The Bushfire Buy-back Information and Consultation Sessions finished in Melbourne on 9 December. Representatives from the Department of Justice and the Fire Recovery Unit met with landowners and community leaders in 11 regional locations. Thank you to those who attended the sessions.
The report on the Information and Consultation Sessions will be presented to the Minister for Bushfire Response. A copy of the report will also be given to the Chairman of the Bushfire Land Acquisition Panel.
The Scheme will then be finalised and applications will open in March 2012. Details on the Scheme will be announced in early 2012.
The Scheme application form will be downloadable from the Department of Justice website www.justice.vic.gov.au/buyback. Landowners who have already expressed interest will be sent an application.
To register for an application form or for enquiries on the Scheme please email the Bushfire Buy-back Project Manager at bushfirebuyback@justice.vic.gov.au or call 03 8685 1314.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT AND MEETINGS
New round of VBAF scholarships open
The Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund has announced that the Tertiary and Vocational Scholarship Program has been extended for those undertaking studies in 2012. The scholarships are valued at up to $15,000 each per year for the duration of the course of study.
These scholarships are available for students who are commencing tertiary or vocational studies next year, and who were directly impacted by the 2009 fires and are continuing to experience financial difficulty as a result of the fires.
Applications will be open from 14 November 2011 until 31 January 2012.
More information is available through the VBAF website at www.dhs.vic.gov.au/bushfireappeal/Fund-Payments/support-payments/scholarships.
Bushfire memorial consultation in Yarra Ranges
Residents in the Yarra Ranges will be able to access a survey in December regarding a proposed bushfire memorial. The steering committee guiding the project is seeking the community’s views and feelings about the construction of a memorial, what purpose it should serve, what form it should take and where it should be located. The survey will be supported by further consultation and community forums.
For further information about the bushfire memorial consultation process contact Rob Read, Bushfire Community Support Program Officer at Yarra Ranges Council on 1300 368 333.
Diary Notes
- 17 December. Opening of Ellimatta Youth facility, 3.00pm
- 17 December. Kinglake Ranges Health Centre Open Day, 1.00pm – 2.00pm.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Low-interest business loans close 31 December
Applications for concessional loans for small businesses and primary producers close on 31 December. Under the scheme small business operators may be eligible for concessional loans to carry out repairs or purchase items to help restore business operations destroyed in the fires. Applicants can apply for low-interest loans up to $500,000. Non-property secured loans of up to $50,000 are also available at concessional rates of 3.2 per cent per annum for the first five years.
For more information visit www.ruralfinance.com.au or call Rural Finance on (03) 5448 2600.
Small Business Mentoring Service
The Victorian Government’s Small Business Mentoring Service (SBMS) has been assisting hundreds of businesses affected by the 2009 bushfires. It can provide mentoring services, business advice on grant availability and guide business owners towards support services. If your business was affected by the bushfires, download the Bushfire Mentoring application and return it to SBMS.
For more information visit http://www.sbms.org.au/ or phone the Victorian Business Line on 13 22 15.
Landcare Awards for bushfire recovery
The 25th anniversary Victorian Landcare Awards were held at Government House in November to recognise outstanding community efforts for the environment. The Awards acknowledged the efforts and commitment of groups and local government in response to the Black Saturday Bushfires.
Three organisations were recognised in the Bushfire Recovery category - Baw Baw Shire Council, Nillumbik Shire Council Natural Environment Recovery Working Group and the Upper Goulburn Landcare Network. The Friends of Robin Hood Reserve and the Baw Baw Shire Council received a High Commendation.
Changes to the FRU contact details
A new 1800 phone number has been established within the Fire Recovery Unit (FRU) so people affected by the 2009 Victorian bushfires can now speak directly to FRU staff. FRU staff can provide bushfire recovery information and respond to questions about current programs, grants, personal and community support and assistance. Previously these calls were answered by the Victorian Bushfire Information Line (VBIL) on behalf of the FRU.
To contact the Fire Recovery Unit, phone 1800 055 714 or email fire.recovery@rdv.vic.gov.au.
The Victorian Bushfire Information Line will continue to provide information during significant bushfires and to help communities prepare for bushfire risk - phone 1800 240 667.
The Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund (VBAF) provides information on open grants for people affected by the 2009 bushfires - phone 1800 180 213.
The Bushfire Community Support Helpline provides information, advice, support and referral with any issue facing bushfire-affected people, including: accommodation, finance, personal assistance, employment, education, counselling, health and legal issues - phone 1800 050 400.
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