Bushfire survivor centre to close
Bushfire survivor centre to close
24 March 2010
published by diamond-valley-leader.whereilive.com.au
Australia — A amterial aid centre for bushfire survivors will shut down next month after distributing more than $8 million of goods to affected individuals.
Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery authority chair Christine Nixon said stocks of clothing, toys and household goods stored at a Clayton warehouse were expected to run down by the end of March.
Ms Nixon said the warehouse would be closed in April with remaining stocks sent to regional distribution centres or to the Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul.
She said the warehouse would be open 10am-2pm on Saturday, March 27 for those wanting to access material aid.
The availability of high-value donations has come to an end after thousands of domestic flights, holidays, vouchers and electronic and whitegoods were distributed on a needs basis, Ms Nixon said.
The goods and services were distributed through a ballot and points system (to) more than 6000 affected households.
She said some of the more unusual donations included goats, alpacas, orange trees, synthetic skin from Norway and temporary housing on a cruise ship on the Suez Canal.
These donations have been just one part on the package of assistance made available to help bushfire-affected families and individuals get back on their feet, she said.
Ms Nixon said a hundreds of corporate, philanthropic and not-for-profit donors had pledged almost $25 million in cash for community projects.
She said blue referral card holders could access material aid from regional locations including Kinglake Neighbourhood House, Hurstbridge Relief Centre and Diamond valley Baptist Church.
