Helping volunteers help our drought-affected community

East Gippsland Shire Council today allocated $150,000 to five local community organisations to provide immediate support to residents impacted by drought.

The funding will be used to support households in need; including food and support for bill payments etc., and $30,000 each will be allocated to:

• Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA)

• Salvation Army

• St Vincent de Paul

• Lions Clubs Need for Feed Disaster Relief

• Gippsland Farmer Relief

(The Country Women’s Association is involved in the delivery of a Victorian Government assistance program and in consultation was not included in the allocation of funds.)

Mayor Cr John White said these volunteer and welfare agencies are best placed to provide direct assistance to individuals.

“They are trusted by our communities and this funding will allow these agencies to target those most in need,” Cr White said.

“While many of these groups service people outside of East Gippsland, a condition of acceptance of the funds will be that Council’s funds are used to support East Gippsland residents.

The funding comes from Council’s budgeted $500,000 for drought support this financial year, adopted in September.

At its meeting in Orbost today, Council reallocated some of the money to ensure it best complements other programs in place, following the Victorian Government’s announcement last month of a $31 million drought package.

“The government’s Local Government Service Support Payment for East Gippsland Shire provided an opportunity for Council to reconsider the allocation to ensure it best complements other programs in place,” Cr White said.

“This latest State funding package, announced in early October, includes a $1,250,000 Communities Priority fund which includes funding for events. As a result, the $100,000 we previously allocated for community support will now be used for water replacement.

“Discussions with the East Gippsland Drought Reference Group and community members has highlighted the need for support for households outside East Gippsland Water supply districts to access additional water for household use.

“Council officers are currently scoping the most effective means to deliver support and investigating the

costs associated with this. The proposed allocation to support household water will be

confirmed, and communicated, once this work is completed.

“This approach to individual support and household water also recognises that the drought is contributing to hardship beyond the directly impacted farming families.”

Council will also make a $40,000 allocation from the future focused / strategic initiatives fund to support the Gippsland Agriculture Group to help meet the initial capital set-up costs associated with the research trial facility at Bengworden. The group has also receiving funding from the Victorian Government and Wellington Shire Council.