Businesses band together in face of fires

From hotels to hospitality groups, businesses across Australia joined forces to support communities impacted by the recent bushfires. Marriott International is launching a number of initiatives over the next few months, including the donation of room nights to fire service volunteers.

The Venues Collection donated to the NSW Rural Fire Service and Australian Red Cross, and also assisted clients of other venues that have been damaged by the fires to find alternative event locations.

In a true display of community spirit, more than 60 Noosa tourism operators teamed up to form the Team Noosa Bushfire Appeal, donating $100,000 worth of holiday packages to a number of fire services across the country.

Additionally, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) acted as a disaster relief centre in January, providing assistance in the way of food, water and medical supplies to those who were evacuated from Mallacoota in East Gippsland due to the fires.