Relief grief in valley

By Kath Gannaway
THE decision by the Yarra Glen Community Relief Centre to close the material aid part of its operation in November has been met with disbelief by some bushfire survivors.
YGCRC committee president Peter Montgomery confirmed on Monday that the centre would stop providing food, clothing and other material items, but said other services located at the centre, including government agencies, would continue.
He said there were a number of factors influencing the decision including a concern about building dependency, a drop in the quality of donations coming in and the impact of the centre on nearby businesses.
“We have been advised that to perpetuate material aid at the level we have been doing may not be the correct thing to do after eight months,” Mr Montgomery said. “We have decided that in view of that advice, and with the overall quality of donations fall-ing, we will drop material aid and run other things such as the Rotary tool library and other activities.”
Mr Montgomery said the new ‘blue card’ which is available to bushfire survivors would provide other options for material aid and that the Victorian Bushfire Relief and Reconstruction Authority (VBRRA) would be handling needs such as whitegoods and other larger items.
Two local bushfire survivors however are not happy with the decision.
Lyn Mullins who lost her Dixons Creek home and farm on Black Saturday said the centre provides a service which is still much-needed by people who come from Marysville, Kinglake, Glenburn, Taggerty, Narbethong and the Yarra Glen bushfire affected areas not only for material help, but for connection with people in the same situation.
“It’s the community involvement which is just as important to people as what they get at the centre,” Ms Mullins said. “It’s somewhere for them to go to be with people who understand how they feel and that is some-thing which is very much lacking in this community,” she said.
Dorothy Barber also lost her home in Yarra Glen. She said the need for material aid is still a reality for many people and is calling on the YGCRC to rethink the timing of the change, if not the entire decision.
“To argue that people might become dependent is an argument put forward by someone who has not lost everything,” she said. “I feel the timing is really tragic because a lot of people are still struggling. Christmas won’t be the same for many people and having that resource would be a big help at that time,” she said.
Ms Barber and Ms Mullins said many of the volunteers who have worked at the centre are also upset at the decision.
Mr Montgomery acknowledged the value of the centre as a meeting place where people felt comfortable and said that aspect of the operation had been considered in the decision.
“That’s where we see a lot of the good coming out of the material aid aspect, but we will still have people coming in, we have counsellors operating from here, and people can still come and meet with others,” he said.
“It is envisaged we will be running other activities which will make that aspect even more attractive,” he added.
He said the timing was very much influenced by what he said was the centre’s inability to provide people with good quality goods.
“We have a sub-lease on the building for a period after the 12 month anniversary and because of that we could not just leave the building empty so we are trying to work with the local shop keepers and the community on all levels to do the best we can,” he said.
Shire of Yarra Ranges communications manager, James Martin, said Yarra Ranges Council supported the committee in its decision.
“The Community Fire Relief committee will continue to provide support to fire affected residents and we look forward to working in partnership with them to develop a strategic plan for the nature of their ongoing role,” Mr Martin said.