The Goulburn – Mulwaree Council will donate $10,000 to assist in the clean up in the wake of the Tathra fire that destroyed 69 homes at the weekend.
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At the monthly council meeting on Tuesday night, Mayor Bob Kirk raised the motion in a Mayoral Minute.
“As a relatively close neighbor and part of the Canberra Region Joint Organisation I consider it appropriate that we help out Tathra residents and doing this through the Mayoral Relief Fund is the appropriate vehicle,” Councillor Kirk read.
“The Mayoral Minute is recommending $10,000 to be granted from the Financial Assistance Grants.”
The money will be donated to the Mayoral Relief Fund established by the Mayor of Bega Valley Shire Council, Ms Kristy McBain.
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Councillors also decided to set set up a mechanism to accept cash donations from the community. These would also be forwarded to the Bega Valley Shire Mayoral Relief Fund.
Councillor Kirk said the general manager has also offered professional staff if required.
The motion was supported by seven councillors. Deputy Mayor Alfie Walker was an apology for the meeting.
Councillor Andrew Banfield opposed the move. He told the meeting that the council had not helped out victims of the large Currandooley fire near Tarago last year or the more recent Bannaby and Greenwich Park blazes.
“I’d be happy for the council to take in money and distribute it where it’s needed but I just can’t justify giving away $10,000 when there are people in our area who have also suffered loss of stock and fencing, even though not of the same magnitude as what occurred in Tathra,” he said.
But Mayor Bob Kirk said while the council had not contributed cash in the aftermath of those fires, the damage “was not to the same extent.”
“It’s about keeping things relative,” he told the meeting.
“Bega Valley is part of the South Eastern network of councils (of which Goulburn Mulwaree is also a member). We also contributed to the Warrambungle and Victorian fire appeals,” he said.
“...This is more about compassion and support.”
Cr Peter Walker welcomed the gesture, particularly in light of outgoing Anglican Bishop Stuart Robinson’s comments that very morning, stressing the need to be a “caring community.”
The money will come from the council’s Financial Assistance Grants program.
The motion was welcomed on social media with many members of the community praising the decision.