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Bushfire Recovery News – Edition 10

From the National Bushfire Recovery Coordinator

Welcome to the latest edition of our newsletter.

This fortnight we highlight some great bushfire recovery projects, including the first of our local economic recovery funding initiatives, Kangaroo Island’s desalination plant. This critical project, jointly funded between the Australian and South Australian governments, will ensure water security for this hard-hit area and help with long-term social and economic recovery from the 2019-20 bushfires.

The Australian and Queensland governments’ have also announced that they will jointly fund a $36.8 million investment in the economic recovery of the most heavily bushfire-affected communities in Queensland.

We will continue to report on further local economic recovery projects funded by the Australian and State governments as they are announced.

I’m really pleased that primary producers have received a boost with the announcement of extended eligibility and application deadlines for bushfire recovery programs. We listened to feedback, with many primary producers hard-hit by drought and then the bushfires. Have a read of the article in this edition for more detail.

The recovery of our environment and wildlife remains a priority and the recent announcement of 19 successful projects from Round 1 of the Wildlife and Habitat Bushfire Recovery Program will go a long way to supporting this.

We also feature a story about the delivery of housing recovery pods to Nerriga and Running Stream in NSW. Pods and other temporary housing facilities are so important to people wishing to stay safely on their land while they rebuild after the bushfires and the NBRA is pleased to see these important deliveries continuing to take place.

I hope you will be inspired by the efforts of the Victorian community of Mallacoota to lead its own recovery. This story highlights the power of local communities getting engaged and taking part in their own recovery. Local economic recovery affects people at the individual level and I’m pleased this edition features another story of strength and community.

I hope you enjoy the stories in this edition. If you have a story of recovery from the Black Summer bushfires, please let us know at communications@bushfirerecovery.gov.au

Until next time, take care.

Andrew Colvin National Bushfire Recovery Coordinator

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In this edition

• Key facts and figures • Primary producers and small businesses benefit • Local Economic Recovery and Complementary Projects Fund • Wildlife and Habitat Bushfire Recovery Program • Australia Post supporting Wildlife Recovery • Mallacoota bush recovery • New desalination plant on Kangaroo Island • Minderoo Foundation sets up pods in Nerriga and Running Stream, NSW • Creative Recovery Small Grants Program • Interested in becoming a Recovery Support Officer (RSO)?

Key facts and figures Our work to deliver financial relief to communities and businesses is continuing. Below is an update using the latest data received to early August 2020.

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Primary producers and small businesses benefit

A dairy farmer herding his cows. Federal and State governments recently announced that primary producers impacted by the 2019-20 bushfires will benefit from expanded eligibility and extensions to application deadlines. Small businesses have also been given more time to apply for bushfire assistance grants. The Federal and State governments are committed to ensuring bushfire recovery assistance is available to those most in need and recognise that the recovery journey is different for everyone. These changes and the decision to extend the application timeframes to December 2020 recognises that some primary producers have experienced drought, bushfires, COVID-19 and floods, and need more time to make a claim. The primary producers grant provides support to farmers and other primary production businesses in fire affected areas with the costs of such services as safety inspections, veterinary fees, waste disposal, equipment purchases or repairs to property or equipment damaged in the fires. Key eligibility changes include:

• Removal of the limit on how much you can earn off-farm. While the requirement to earn at least 50 per cent of your total income from primary production remains, there will be no cap on the amount you can earn off-farm.

• Allowing extra time for applicants to reach the 50 per cent income threshold in recognition of long lead times required by some sectors to reach full production.

• Applicants are no longer required to be registered for GST but must still hold an ABN.

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• Businesses earning more than 50 per cent of their income from a combination of primary production and goods made directly from that produce will now be eligible for assistance.

These changes will come into effect shortly. Applicants previously unsuccessful may now be eligible and will not need to reapply - agencies administering the grants will contact these applicants. Applications for small business assistance in the form of $10,000 and $50,000 grants and concessional loans of up to $500,000 have also been extended to December 2020. Primary producers and small business operators in fire affected areas that have not been in touch with support agencies are encouraged to not self-assess and to speak to a support officer. Actual closing dates in December vary depending on your state or territory. Further details are available on our website.

Local Economic Recovery projects in Queensland Recovery efforts in Queensland continue with the Australian and Queensland governments jointly funding a $36.8 million investment in the local economic recovery of the most heavily bushfire-impacted communities. The Queensland Reconstruction Authority will administer the funding. The Australian Government’s contribution is part of the $448.5 million funding announced in May to support local economic recovery. Councils and state agencies can apply for funding for projects delivered within 13 heavily impacted local council areas identified by the Queensland Government. The 13 council areas are Bundaberg, Gladstone, Gympie, Ipswich, Livingstone, Lockyer Valley, Mareeba, Noosa, Scenic Rim, Somerset, Southern Downs, Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba. Projects eligible for funding may include new infrastructure or upgrades to existing infrastructure, initiatives supporting entrepreneurship and innovation, local recovery support for businesses, local industry recovery, and neighbourhood and community activities that focus on building capacity, community strength and resilience.

Councils can submit expressions of interest for project funding until 7 September 2020. Each state is taking a different approach to identifying projects for Local Economic Recovery funding. Further details are available on our website.

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Wildlife and Habitat Bushfire Recovery Program

The Spotted Tree Frog, a threatened species. Nineteen successful projects have received a total of $6.9 million through Round 1 of the Australian Government’s Wildlife and Habitat Bushfire Recovery Program. Threatened species as diverse as freshwater spiny crayfish, Macquarie Perch, the Glossy Black-Cockatoo, and the Golden-tipped Bat will benefit from on-ground action to recover their habitat, and surveys to understand the impact of the fires on their populations. Projects include: eDNA detection using water samples from fire-affected river basins to look for animals including Platypus and Spotted Tree Frog; using scent detection dogs to find endangered carnivorous marsupial mice (known as Antechinuses) in the World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforests; and carving artificial cavities and hollows in the trunks and limbs of trees with chainsaws to provide habitat and shelter for a range of species in the East Gippsland region. A list of the successful projects is available here. Round 2 grant projects are now being assessed, along with the high-quality applications that were not successful in the first round. These grants are part of the Australian Government’s $200 million investment to help native wildlife and plants recover from the devastating impacts of last summer. The Round 1 projects complement Australian Government-funded recovery actions already underway by land managers, wildlife experts, state and territory governments, zoos, Traditional Owners, scientists and community organisations. More information about work to support bushfire recovery for wildlife and habitat is on the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment website.

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Australia Post supporting Wildlife Recovery

A selection of Wildlife Recovery stamps. Threatened Species Commissioner Dr Sally Box has launched the 2020 Australia Post Stamp Collecting Month for August with a Wildlife Recovery theme. The theme was chosen because of the devastating 2019–20 bushfires, and features the Koala, Bathurst Copper Butterfly, Davies’ Tree Frog, Kangaroo Island Dunnart, Regent Honeyeater and Blue Mountains Water Skink. Earlier this year, the Wildlife and Threatened Species Bushfire Recovery Expert Panel identified native animal species particularly at risk, due to their level of endangerment before the bushfires, the extent to which their habitat had been burnt, and specific traits that might make them particularly vulnerable to mortality during and after fire. The featured animals on the stamps have been selected from those identified by the Expert Panel as in need of immediate conservation management. Stamp Collecting Month is helping to remind not just stamp collectors and young people but teachers and families that our most vulnerable native species are a valuable aspect of our natural heritage and need our help to survive. Australia Post has a range of wildlife education resources on their website for Stamp Collecting Month and is hoping to inspire the next generation of young conservationists!

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Mallacoota bush recovery

Betka Beach, Mallacoota. Mallacoota is located at the edge of East Gippsland Shire in Victoria, almost a three-hour drive from the local council in Bairnsdale. Locals wished to be more directly engaged in Mallacoota’s recovery. Nearly 800 of Mallacoota’s 1,000 residents have created their own committee to accelerate the town’s bushfire recovery efforts. The committee in Mallacoota has taken the initiative to apply for recovery grants, and determine how funds will be used to help people who have been directly affected by the bushfires. New desalination plant in Kangaroo Island

Kangaroo Island. On 15 July, the Australian Government and South Australian Government announced additional funding for Kangaroo Island’s new desalination plant. The plant is expected to create 500 jobs on the island, a tourist hotspot that attracts more than 140,000 visitors each year. Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management, the Hon David Littleproud MP, highlighted that the plant will improve water security, helping to support vital industries and strengthen recovery efforts through the provision of long-term social and economic recovery.

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“The desalination plant is the first of many priority projects that will receive local economic recovery funding available for bushfire affected communities. This ensures a locally-led approach to bushfire recovery," Minister Littleproud said. The desalination plant project will commence in 2022, and is estimated to take between 18 and 24 months to complete. Read the joint media release.

Minderoo Foundation sets up pods in Nerriga and Running Stream NSW

A Nerriga local receives the keys to a new recovery hub. The small village of Nerriga, NSW was significantly affected by the Black Summer bushfires. Last month, two Minderoo Foundation housing recovery pods were delivered for a number of residents. Minderoo's pods have helped many families across NSW. The temporary housing, a joint initiative between the NSW Government and the Minderoo Foundation, provides secure accommodation on bushfire-affected properties while people rebuild. Click here to read the full story in About Regional. The Minderoo Foundation also recently provided a recovery pod to Rick and Bev Anderson at Running Stream, NSW. In this video, Mr Anderson takes us on a tour of his temporary abode.

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Creative Recovery Small Grants Program

Applications for the Program are open until 31 October 2020. Regional Arts Victoria is collaborating with Regional Development Victoria, Bushfire Recovery Victoria and Creative Victoria on the Creative Recovery Small Grants Program. The program supports community connection, engagement and resilience for the following communities impacted by the 2019-20 bushfires in regional Victoria: Alpine, East Gippsland, Indigo, Mansfield, Towong and Wangaratta. The project has a focus on creative activity that assists these communities with recovery. Up to $5000 is available for individuals and organisations. Regional Arts Victoria is seeking applications up until 31 October. For more details on the program, click here.

Interested in becoming a Recovery Support Officer (RSO)?

The NBRA is currently recruiting 14 additional RSOs across fire-affected areas of SA, VIC and NSW.

RSOs are part of the NBRA Liaison Network that supports locally led recovery efforts. RSOs play a pivotal role in providing day-to-day support to people in bushfire-affected communities as they move forward after the bushfires.

We already have officers embedded in Southern NSW and Victoria, and we are expanding this network to more fire affected local areas.

Based in over 20 local areas, RSOs:

• provide information about all the bushfire recovery assistance available and help connect people with the right support

• help individuals fill out forms and navigate the application process • represent the NBRA at community forums and events, either individually or as a member

of a small team

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• support local councils in bushfire recovery efforts, including working in close consultation with local council Community Recovery Officers.

RSOs need to have a good understanding of local issues facing bushfire-affected communities. They need to be proactive, resilient and flexible, with excellent communication and engagement skills. RSOs form part of a broader NBRA Liaison Network and contribute to the partnership between Federal, State and Local governments to support bushfire recovery efforts.

If you or someone you know is interested in an exciting and fulfilling job playing a part in their community’s recovery as an Australian Government RSO, apply now at APS Jobs.

Contact Us

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Key contacts

Click here for key contacts in state and Australian governments

Email us contact@bushfirerecovery.gov.au Message us Click the 'Message' button on our Facebook page to send us a private message if you have a question or concern. Our Recovery Support Officers are online to help. Media enquiries Email: media@bushfirerecovery.gov.au Phone: 02 6271 5015 Website bushfirerecovery.gov.au Facebook facebook.com/FireRecoveryAU/ Twitter twitter.com/FireRecoveryAU

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Update from the National Bushfire Recovery Agency | Edition Number 10