WE can only hope the Murrindindi-Marysville and Kilmore East Kinglake class actions will provide some relief for those still hurting from the Black Saturday bushfires.
While nothing will come close to replacing all that was lost six years ago, hopefully this result will alleviate some of the struggles that many in the region still encounter today, not just financially but emotionally.
We can only hope these results help to make things easier for those who may still be rebuilding businesses, rebuilding communities, or for things such as helping to put children through school.
That this latest case wasn’t as protracted as it could have been is also a welcome result.
Simply because the longer it went on, the longer many painful memories would have been brought to the surface.
Regardless of the intricacies of the case, those involved should be commended for that outcome.
The stress over this class action would doubtlessly have weighed heavily on many.
In addition to these results, we hope some good has come from the scrutiny, through helping to identify measures and processes that could reduce the likelihood of such an event occurring in the future.
Meanwhile, last Saturday marked the sixth anniversary of these horrific bushfires.
Whether it’s six years ago or 126 years ago, such an event should be remembered equally throughout Australia.
Every anniversary is important.
This is an event that transcended our region, there were many nationwide deeply shocked at the events of that day.
In fact, there wouldn’t be too many who would not remember where they were on that particular day.
At the time, those series of bushfires made us feel like the whole of Victoria was on fire.
Let’s take the time to not only remember those who lost so much, but the atrocities experienced by the thousands of firefighting personnel who were asked to go above and beyond.
While every anniversary may seem to have a varying level of significance, it’s important to remember they are an important part of keeping the memory alive.