SUPPORT continues to be available for people affected by the Northern Grampians Complex fire.
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Uniting Wimmera support for families and community manager Louise Netherway said the organisation worked with people in Horsham Rural City, Northern Grampians, Hindmarsh, West Wimmera and Yarriambiack municipalities who were dealing with a range of issues, including this fire and other bushfires.
She said the psychological impact of a fire as traumatic as the Northern Grampians Complex fire could be long-lasting and, at times, permanent.
“When someone has lived through an experience like a bushfire, their mental health can be affected in a variety of ways,” she said.
“Post-traumatic stress disorder is something we are understanding better all the time. The present risk of fire with the hot weather we are having can trigger distressing memories and cause anxiety.
“Here in the Wimmera, we have a great sense of community and camaraderie. We provide opportunities for people to engage with other people in the community through groups such as sport clubs.”
SPECIAL FEATURE: Northern Grampians Complex fire, five years on
Mrs Netherway said Uniting Wimmera provided critical support for individuals, families and the community in a number of ways during the fire and afterwards.
“(We had) two full-time support team members present at all community information sessions and meetings to assist with immediate counselling and community debriefing. We also provided case management to over 20 families and individuals impacted by the fire, with support continuing for up to a year afterwards,” she said.
Uniting Wimmera provided emergency housing and crisis relief support to people and families who lost their homes in the fires, and also arranged with hotels and motels in the area to house bushfire-affected people when there was a shortage of crisis accommodation.
Mrs Netherway said the organisation also offered around-the-clock counselling support, with Uniting staff rostered on to assist wherever needed.
“The team conducted multiple follow-ups with people, beginning with a door knock to all homes and families affected by the fires in the weeks and months following the disaster,” she said.
Along with help from organisations such as Uniting Wimmera, the region’s fire-affected residents also received state government support.
The Department of Health and Human Services issued 186 emergency financial assistance grants after the Northern Grampians Complex fire worth a total of $181,250.
This form of assistance helped people in Horsham Rural City and Northern Grampians municipalities meet their immediate health, safety and well-being needs.
The state government also allocated funding to the bushfire recovery, including $185,000 for the Grampians Tourism Bushfire Response and Recovery Strategy and $125,000 to attract tourists to Halls Gap.
The Grampians Tourism strategy was a tourism and marketing campaign that aimed to help ensure the region bounced back from the fire.
Service clubs supported fire-affected families through a range of measures, including donating cakes and distributing quilts made by school students in NSW, and through catering for BlazeAid volunteers.