Bushfire memorials for mark Victoria’s blackest day

Nineteen Victorian councils will share in $2.5 million to create memorials to mark February’s devastating bushfires, Premier John Brumby announced today.

“This funding will provide communities with the chance to reflect and remember the impact of the devastating bushfires and is an important part of the recovery process,” Mr Brumby said.

“Funding can be used to create community memorials to remember the bushfires, to support communities to acknowledge the scale, impact and loss as well as to acknowledge their pride and resilience during recovery.

“Memorials could be physical monuments, gardens, open spaces for reflection, landscaping, sculptures, or a commemorative event.

“Councils will work together with communities to determine what sort of memorials might be appropriate and where they might be located.”

The Victorian and Commonwealth Governments jointly established the Community Recovery Fund in February for communities affected by the bushfires, each committing $5 million.

The Community Recovery Fund has already allocated $3 million for a Community Sports Recovery Fund and $2.5 million for the creation of memorials in bushfire-affected communities.

Parliamentary Secretary for Bushfire Recovery Reconstruction Bill Shorten today visited Marysville to announce Murrindindi Shire Council would receive $628,000 for memorials.

“Remembering the devastation caused in February is an important part of the recovery process,” Mr Shorten said.

“How a community chooses to remember is up to them, we want the final decision on how many memorials there are, and what form they take, to be made by local communities.

“The courage and commitment to rebuilding bushfire affected towns in the Murrindindi Shire is inspirational.

“We will continue to support these towns recover, and I believe these memorials will be a fitting and necessary commemoration of the events of February.”