At the Council meeting held on 12 May 2021, Mr Viv May requested a review of Council’s response to the 2019/20 Black Summer Bushfires.

The review will examine Wingecarribee Shire Council’s response to the immediate emergency as well as the short and long-term bushfire recovery support offered.

Feedback is sought from anyone impacted by the bushfires, whether in a personal, work, voluntary or community capacity.

We’re offering a number of opportunities to provide feedback and share your experience:

The review will specifically focus on Council’s:

• response to the immediate bushfire emergency, including coordination of Local Emergency Management Committee
• provision of immediate support and information for bushfire impacted residents, including Council’s Mayoral Relief Fund
• management of short-term recovery needs, including set up, participation in and effectiveness of local and regional recovery committees
• development of recovery plans and implementation of actions
• approach to seeking and utilising bushfire response and recovery funding offered by Federal and State Government

Note: The review is being undertaken to examine Wingecarribee Shire Council’s response to and recovery from the bushfires. It is not to examine emergency service responses or the State Government’s recovery arrangements.

On Saturday 10 April 2021 Council hosted a Community Recovery Concert for our bushfire affected community.

The event featured performances by Justice Crew, Mahalia Barnes and her band the Soul Mates, Jess and Matt from the X Factor and local performers Michelle Cashman and Bald and the Beautiful.

In addition to the onstage music the afternoon featured roaming entertainers, jumping castles and food vans.

Wingecarribee Shire’s Community Recovery Concert was proudly funded by the NSW Government in association with Council.

Round 3 of the Bushfire Recovery and Resilience (BCRR) Small Grants Program will open for applications on Monday 3 May at 9am and will close at 4pm on Monday 24 May 2021.

The program will provide financial support for small scale community-led recovery and resilience projects and events. Not for profit community organisations and associations based in the Wingecarribee Local Government Area can apply for one-off grants of $2,000 - $10,000. The program has a total value of $85,000.

The aim of the BCRR Small Grants Program is to support bushfire impacted communities:

• in the process of social recovery, with a focus on health and wellbeing
• provide opportunity for community connection
• strengthen community resilience.

Applications will be via the SmartyGrants portal.

The Grant Guidelines and application can be accessed here

Prevention and Detection of Suicide and Mental Illness for Frontline Workers and Community Members

Dokotela Psychiatry, in collaboration with Community Links Wellbeing and SWS Primary Health Network, will be hosting a FREE Webinar for frontline workers and the community from areas affected by the 2019-2020 bushfires.

The webinar will cover the following topics:

The impacts of traumatic stress

• Resources to help yourself, family and friends suffering after a traumatic event
• How to identify people at risk of suicide or suffering emotional disturbance
• How to encourage your family member, friend or colleague to seek help
• What you should do if someone expresses suicidal intent

WEBINAR: Community Members

WHEN: Tuesday 4th May 2021 at 6pm

Register here

WEBINAR: Frontline Workers

When: Tuesday 18th May 2021 at 6pm

Register here

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out on swsphn@dokotela.com.au or contact Emma on 0412 757 258.

Saturday, 10 April 2021 | 03:30 PM to 08:30 PM

We will be holding a FREE Community Recovery Concert to bring joy and community re-connection, in acknowledgement of the long recovery process on the back of the bush fires of 2019/20.

The concert will feature:

• Mahalia Barnes
• X Factor Finalists ‘Matt & Jess’
• Justice Crew
• Michelle Cashman

There will be free face painting, balloon twisting and jumping castles, with local food vans providing food available for purchase.

A free shuttle has been organised to and from the event for residents of the Northern and Southern Villages - if you would like to reserve your seat on the bus please email communityrecovery@wsc.nsw.gov.au or call 02 4868 0888.

Gates open at 3.30pm with the concert to finish around 8.30pm.

Book your tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/community-recovery-concert-tickets-147213061229

In October 2020, Council delivered Bushfire Recovery Community Workshops in partnership with Resilience NSW. The workshops were an opportunity for conversation about what is needed now to support recovery and to help build community resilience.

Click here to view a summary of the key themes coming out of the workshops, what we heard from communities about recovery needs and how Council has been responding.

The Stories Toward Regeneration project is a series of wellbeing and creative workshops that will utilise the experiences of participants to tell a story. The creative works can take on any common medium such as poetry, painting, spoken word – you will be guided to choose. Observers who do not wish to create are also welcome. At the completion of this project, the finished works will sit on a dedicated interactive website.

To book a place and find out more information about this workshop please follow this link or call 0408 617 143.

https://www.yoursaywingecarribee.com.au/52173/widgets/278917/documents/197270

"Stories to Heal Us” is an intentionally designed therapeutic art workshop created in response to the needs of the people within the Wingecarribee LGA in the wake of the devastating Green Wattle Creek and Morton Bushfires, followed shortly by the whirlwind of COVID-19 restrictions.

Come together in a creative space to tell your unique story and heal from the impact of the 2020 bushfires. You will be guided to explore your story through written word, art or spoken word.

All materials will be provided, along with refreshments to nourish us!

No prior experience is needed to participate in the workshops and we welcome all community members, as well as families to come together, as we know there is a story in all of you worth sharing.

To book a place at this workshop please contact Wildflower Holisitic Services on 02 4684 1080 or info@wildflowerholisticservices.com .

Properties identified by Council as being potentially eligible to qualify for the EPA’s Bushfire-Generated Green Waste Clean-Up and Processing Program are being contacted by mail and email. This initiative expects to manage tonnes of waste generated by the bushfires, including green waste that would otherwise present significant environmental, safety and bushfire risk including remaining bushfire affected hazardous trees.

To be considered for the green waste program you must meet guidelines, and return the Consent to Enter form. You can fill in the PDF form or print, sign and photograph to email it back to bushfiregrant@wsc.nsw.gov.au

The program requires:

• consent to allow our contract arborists to rapidly assess a property for eligibility between 15 February and 19 March 2021, and
• a report back to the EPA by Council to seek funding for the greenwaste to be removed from the property.

Unfortunately Council is working to a short time frame provided by the EPA to do the inspections and report back, so we appreciate your prompt response on this matter. Click here to read the letter and form.

To register your interest please quickly complete and return the form by 12 March 2021 via email to bushfiregrant@wsc.nsw.gov.au. If you have any questions please call 02 4868 0888 or send an email to bushfiregrant@wsc.nsw.gov.au.

Round two of the Bushfire Recovery and Resilience (BCRR) Small Grants Program is now open for applications and will close at midnight Wednesday 17 March 2021.

The program will provide financial support for small scale community-led recovery and resilience projects and events. Not for profit community organisations and associations based in the Wingecarribee Local Government Area can apply for one-off grants of $2,000 - $10,000. The program has a total value of $85,000.

The aim of the BCRR Small Grants Program is to support bushfire impacted communities:

• in the process of social recovery, with a focus on health and wellbeing
• provide opportunity for community connection
• strengthen community resilience.

Applications will be via the SmartyGrants portal.

The Grant Guidelines and application can be accessed here.