Community members invited to apply for bushfire recovery committee

People interested in sitting on the Community Recovery Committee are invited to register their interest by Tuesday 28 May 2019, 5pm.

The committee will represent and liaise with impacted residents and business owners to identify community recovery priorities. It will also advise and advocate to Council, the Victorian Government and other agencies involved in the recovery effort.

At a community workshop held at Tonimbuk Hall on 8 May, participants decided that committee members would be appointed following an Expression of Interest (EOI) process.

They also decided that a panel made up of community volunteers and Council staff would select committee members after assessing the EOIs.

Cardinia Shire Mayor Cr Graeme Moore said that while government and other organisations play an important role in recovery, disaster recovery is most effective in the long run if it is led by the community.

“Community members are in the best position to know what the community needs to recover after a disaster. Their input and voices are absolutely vital.

“We hope that a diverse range of people express their interest in joining the recovery committee, as it will be at its most effective if it represents a diversity of needs,” Cr Moore said.

Participants at the workshop agreed that committee members should have experienced varying levels of loss in the bushfires, and represent a range of demographics and townships across the fire-affected area.

People who have not been directly impacted by the fires, but who might bring valuable skills and experience to the table, are also invited to apply to join the committee.

All applicants will be contacted by Friday 7 June.

For more information on the Community Recovery Committee or to apply:

• Visit Council’s website at www.cardinia.vic.gov.au/haveyoursay
• Pick up an application form from the recovery centre at Tonimbuk Hall. (Council’s recovery officers are at the centre from Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm).