General News
21 July, 2026
Pub steps up for Natimuk fire brigade donation
IT’S just over six months since the bushfires that raced up to and threatened the town boundaries of Natimuk, and last week the town’s brigade received a much-needed boost through the charitable arm of the Victorian pub and hotel industry.
Through a coordinated industry effort led by the Hotel Care Foundation, communities across the state raised more than $73,000 for emergency services and recovery, with $50,000 already donated to various emergency service organisations.
Highlighting the generosity, Bill Lovel from the National Hotel Natimuk, in collaboration with HCF, officially presented a cheque for $7500 to the brigade.
Captain David Sudholz said although the town was “well and truly into the recovery phase”, donations like this were extremely welcome and “gratefully received”, as it helped not just with equipment repairs and replacements, but also conveyed to the members how valued their work during the emergency was regarded.
“We were pretty impacted by the fire, the brigade,” he said.
“We obviously had to turn out a lot and (that) took up a lot of people's time. We had a few brigade members that actually lost houses and infrastructure themselves.
“But we also had our Forward Command Vehicle severely damaged in response to that fire, and so this money will go towards help replacing that vehicle. So it'll be really important.”
David said the recent official recognition of Natimuk as a rescue brigade meant some of the money would also support that role.
“We do a lot of high-angle and steep-angle rescues from Mt Arapiles, and so some of that money will go towards providing training equipment to enable us to support that ongoing task,” he said.
Bill said although the people in town and surrounds were “getting on with it”, the fire had left its mark.
“Life's getting back to some normality – if it's ever normal,” he said.
“The bowls club are now looking at plans to what they're going to be laying down.
“People have sold blocks, bought blocks. I think all the houses down there have all been cleaned up.
“That'll just be good for the town psychology-wise, not to have to stare at this pile of burnt rubble.”
He added the impact on the town was underlined by a proportional view of the number of houses and surrounding properties affected.
“People don't understand – for example, the town's 550 people – (that’s) rough figures,” Bill said.
“When you have 10 houses burnt, that might be 40 people, which is nearly 10 per cent of your population.
“If you take 10 per cent out of Horsham, that's (about) two and a half thousand people.”
He said seeing real support for the local brigade was an integral part of Natimuk’s rebuild.
“CFA volunteers are the lifeblood of our community, and it’s important that we back those who give so much,” Bill said.
“When crisis hits, local pubs don’t just open their doors; they become lifelines for the community, feeding frontline crews, sheltering neighbours, and raising the vital funds our brigades need.”
HCF chairman, Mark Barson, said that the fundraising results reflected the historic role pubs play as the heartbeat of regional towns, especially during times of crisis.
“Everybody in regional towns knows that the local pub serves as the heart of their community – a safe and welcoming spot for the whole family,” he said.
“This is never more apparent than in times of emergency, where publicans throw open their doors and provide badly needed shelter, food and water to locals, and especially to those on the frontlines battling fires and floods.
“This donation from the pub and hotel industry through Hotel Care Foundation is a testament to the power of local publicans and patrons coming together to look after those who give and risk so much.”
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