Grants assist community fire recovery projects

Community groups have been busy putting their Cardinia Shire Council bushfire recovery grants to good use.

Following the 2019 Bunyip Complex Bushfires, council awarded bushfire recovery grants to support local projects to enhance community wellbeing, connection, and resilience.

The Tonimbuk Hall Committee used its recovery grant to buy kitchen equipment including an oven, an urn, a microwave, cutlery, and crockery. The hall is now well equipped to host the increasingly popular community dinners at the Tonimbuk Hall that help forge community connection and recovery in the wake of the bushfires.

The Community Recovery Committee used its grant to purchase a wood splitter and trailer to support the community with clean up following the fires.

The wood splitter and trailer has been available for community members since May last year and has already racked up 100 hours of service.

The Cannibal Creek Catchment Landcare Group Inc (CCCLG) used its recovery grant, with additional funding from Garfield Community Opportunity Shop and Bunyip Community Opportunity Shop, to purchase dung beetles and nursery beds.

Dung beetles are used to reinvigorate soils following bushfire by redistributing nutrients, increasing organic matter and improving aeration. In turn, this improves water retention and increases the availability of nutrients so the bush can bounce back better than ever.

The group also received a dung beetle colony and nursery bed from the Port Phillip and Western Port Catchment Management Authority.

The Warragul Men’s Shed constructed pallet beds at cost price for the CCCLG to use and distribute to property owners who wish to raise dung beetles themselves. The CCCLG plans to educate locals about the environmental benefits of dung beetles with workshops planned for March this year.

The Cannibal Creek Reserve Committee is using its grant to install seats on the nature trail at Cannibal Creek Reserve. The seats represent the six seasons of the indigenous calendar and offer a place to rest and enjoy the peaceful surroundings.

Over the next few months, remaining funds will be used to install signage to identify native plants along the trail.

Cardinia Shire mayor Jeff Springfield praised the efforts of the community groups in their work to facilitate recovery.

“Communities lean on each other in times of difficulty and disaster. The work of the community groups on these projects has made all the difference to the community’s recovery from the bushfires.

“It’s been great to watch as our local community groups put their grants to great use in a variety of ways,” Cr Springfield said.