Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Media releases: 5 December 2024
Report reaffirms need for disaster recovery funding for the medium to long-term
Five years on from the Black Summer Bushfires, FRRR has just released a report setting out how the $26 million donated to FRRR in the wake of the bushfires has been used so far to support the recovery and capacity-building of impacted communities. The report also shares some of the lessons learned during this process and makes recommendations for post-disaster funding.
Black Summer Bushfires, Five Years On (FRRR’s Five Years On Report) explains how, as at 30 June 2024, FRRR had distributed $19.3 million of the funds so generously donated to FRRR by business, philanthropy, governments and individuals to support 928 projects and activities in 240 impacted communities.
FRRR CEO, Natalie Egleton, said that while recovery is still ongoing in so many of the hundreds of fire-affected communities, the report confirms that the projects and activities the Foundation has funded have had positive impacts – people feel safer, better prepared, more connected and able to support one another.
“FRRR’s Five Years On Report reaffirms that local communities are best placed to determine their needs and define what will have the greatest effect towards recovery and building resilience against future disasters.
“It’s different in every place – from strengthening protective factors, such as a safe community meeting place or having a plan in case of a future disaster; to supporting children and families getting back to school and ready to learn; to building organisational capacity by enhancing systems and efficiencies; to upgrading halls and facilities so places are more self-sufficient; or providing dedicated resources, such as specialists in supporting people with disabilities to be prepared for future disaster events or paid staff to relieve volunteer fatigue.
“These are just some examples of the wide range of recovery projects and capacity-building activities that FRRR has funded. What it also highlights, is the need for flexible funding to meet the diverse and evolving needs of communities, especially when they are faced with multiple, consecutive disasters such as bushfires, followed by the pandemic, followed by flooding,” Ms Egleton explained.
The Black Summer Bushfires, Five Years On report also explains how $4.7 million of the donations have been invested in a perpetual fund, which is helping to ensure funding is available to support ongoing recovery efforts. The return from the fund has already seen a further $440,000 invested or set aside for recovery and preparedness projects, and will distribute grants annually in perpetuity. The remaining funds donated will be awarded in coming years to support ongoing recovery and preparedness efforts in the affected communities.
Ms Egleton said that this kind of sustainable investment to enable long-term recovery is one of the recommendations made in FRRR’s Five Years On Report.
“Having supported communities through disasters for more than 20 years, we know that recovery take time – in many cases, decades. While many provided immediate, critical support in response to the fires, FRRR knows that these fire-affected regions will need funding and support for the medium to long-term.
“For us, this means actively leaning in and being there, long after other services and funding sources have gone,” Ms Egleton said.
Read the report online, or download the PDF here. In addition to the report, you can also watch firsthand accounts from some of the communities that were impacted by the Black Summer Bushfires. The videos include interviews with local organisations explaining how funding from FRRR has played a part in their community’s recovery journey.
